The Vikings began learning a principle of sharing the first week of school at the Pleasant Grove Community Center.

"We have a great relationship with the city," said Pleasant Grove High School Assistant Principal Dan Weishar. "It is awesome."

Junior Jazz practices and games are played at the high school gyms and ballroom dance, aerobics, dance, P.E. and cheerleading are taught at the community center.

Students were bringing in weights, exercise balls and floor mats into the center for classes being held there first term of the 2008-2009 school year.

Aimee Kennington, ballroom dance teacher, said she is excited to have use of the community center gyms.

"I think it is great," said Kennington. "They have a lot of space. I'm interested in seeing how it works out."

Students meet at the high school and walk to the center as a class accompanied by their teacher and they must enter through a separate school entrance.

Not only is the city helping the school but community leaders are also coming forward to help while school construction is going on, Weishar said.

"Some of the businesses have opened their doors to help us with our space needs," he said. "The future plans, as you know, are to have the whole school rebuilt." Eventually, the Vikings will have a new school as contractors replace the buildings section by section, he said.

"People are unified, they are in harmony, they are not looking at what can't be done but are looking for things at what can be done," he said.

An example he gave was the football field and Friday's endowment game with Timpview High School. Interwest Construction has worked hard to get the bleacher project done before the game.

"They are not looking at it as a burden but as a solution," he said.

Weishar has worked closely with Jay Dee Nielson at the community center to create a viable plan for the city and the school. The e-mail and talk by phone frequently and meet every few weeks to coordinate schedules and address possible issues.

"If there's a problem, we address it," Weishar said.

They are calling the mutual sharing between the municipalities, the Alpine School District and Pleasant Grove City, a pilot program. Weishar likens their spirit of cooperation to being air traffic controllers and coordinating "flights" or classes.

"Jay Dee and I have been working together for the last five years and we have a great marriage," he said. "There are rough moments but we work it out."

Both city staff and PGHS faculty have hopes for positive results.

"I hope it's going to benefit everyone," said center office manager Valerie Brinkerhoff. "It's the cooperation with the school district that allowed us to get [the center] done so quickly."

"I think it's working out well. I haven't heard any complaints," Mayor Michael Daniels. "They are making sure schedules are worked out so the students and residents aren't running on top of each other."