Though students enrolled at Utah County Academy of Sciences in Orem don’t start classes until today, that didn’t keep Utah Valley’s early-college high school from unveiling its new multipurpose building on Monday.

Slated to fill several roles -- including as a student commons area, lunchroom and gymnasium -- the much-anticipated $1.7 million UCAS Activity Center is easily the largest single interior space on the school's campus, which includes the school's Educational Building, a converted modular structure that houses the school's classrooms and offices. The school is across the street from Utah Valley University in Orem. It's in partnership with UVU and the Alpine, Nebo and Provo school districts. 

UCAS principal Clark Baron welcomed students, parents, government leaders and faculty and board members to a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony and tour of the building Monday afternoon.

"We are thrilled to have it," he said.

Previously, students met in a cramped commons area/lunchroom space in the educational building. With the new activity center, those spaces have been remodeled into a classroom, study area and an expanded office, Baron said.

"The study area/library is small, but with a new $47 million library just across the way, we don't need our stacks [of books]," he said.

The running joke at the school was that all a student had to do to get to his next destination between class periods was hold to up his elbows horizontally. Under the support of the wall-to-wall throngs, the student would be transported down the narrow main corridor without even having to take a step, Baron said.

"It will alleviate the crowding in our hallways," said UCAS student services counselor Carl Nielson. "It will help overall with 360 students in a small area."

In addition to serving as a commons area complete with furniture and computer stations for students to hang out, study or just relax, the activity center will serve breakfast and lunch from its kitchen, Baron said. Physical education classes will be held in the afternoons, and the facility is fully equipped for athletic events, school dances and UCAS student assemblies.

UCAS put away $700,000 in state Legislature-appropriated funds in 2004 to build the new facility and $500,000 from legislation for UVU's transition to a university last month. The difference was generated by UCAS banking away computer purchase program and sponsorship money and the school making do with existing hardware, Baron said.

"The building is now up and paid for," he said. "Really, it's been in the plans since Day 1."

Baron credited former UVU president William Sederburg and state Rep. Rebecca Lockhart, R-Provo, who attended Monday's event, with seeing the potential UCAS offers students and backing legislation that made the school and funding for the activity center possible.

Decked out in his new black UCAS Student Council jacket, senior class president Bridger Maxwell and his friends approved of the new facility.

"I'm loving it," he said. "Finally we have a place that can fit the whole student body."

Though students will continue to go across the street to UVU for classes and to study, UCAS senior Mary Miller said the new activity building will help reduce a portion of the continual mass exodus of students across the street to UVU.

"There was a lot of jaywalking," she said.

Created four years ago as one of six early college high schools in Utah affiliated with institutions of higher learning, UCAS students hail from across Utah County and beyond. Coursework is centered around the sciences, math and engineering, and students have the option of earning college credit by attending UVU courses.

In the past two years, 80 percent of UCAS graduates have received tuition-free associate degrees to complement their high school diplomas, Baron said.