Provo school board approves $45 million in construction, remodeling projects
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- A sign reading “Keep Out” is posted on a fence outside of the site for the future Wasatch Elementary School in Provo on Wednesday, May 10, 2023.
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- A sign reading “Timpview High School Rebuild Phase I” with a rendering of the school after construction is completed is photographed outside of the school in Provo on Wednesday, May 10, 2023.
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- Renovation work to Timpview High School in Provo is shown Wednesday, May 10, 2023.
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- Construction workers tend to the future Wasatch Elementary School site in Provo on Wednesday, May 10, 2023.
During the Provo City School District Board of Education’s Tuesday meeting, the body discussed, among other things, three large purchase requests. Two would update features of Timpview High School, and the final request proposed the budget for the construction of the new Wasatch Elementary School. The funds for all these projects would be coming from the 2020 bond.
The Wasatch Elementary budget, proposed as $44,486,930, passed unanimously. According to Derek Anderson, business administrator, construction workers recently poured the footings for the building.
It is likely that the project will not be finished in time for the 2023-2024 school year. If that is the case, the district will invoke a six-month delay policy in their contract with Brigham Young University, who bought the existing Wasatch Elementary building in 2021.
Anderson quoted a BYU representative on the agreement, telling the board, “‘We’re not going to kick you out right now until you know (your finish date), but our very strong preference is that you have that done within that 180 days.'”
The construction team estimates they will know the approximate finishing date by July 1.
For Timpview High School, built in 1977, repairs and updates have become necessary. The school sought approval of funds to rewire the school’s fire alarm system and remodel the lunch room. Both requests received unanimous support.
The lunchroom remodel is expected to cost $237,164 and will include updating furnishings. Board members requested that the designs be less modern and more timeless.
“What this is going to do is give a facelift to that area. For all the furniture and fixtures that are in there. The child nutrition program is planning on covering this, it will not be covered by the district,” Anderson said.
The fire alarm rewiring will be completed by Tri-Phase Electric, who previously did an assessment of the current system’s wiring.
“They didn’t know what the cost would be until they actually got into kind of tearing down some of the existing facility, and being able to go into the walls and assess what it would take to wire the building that staying there with the new system,” Anderson said.
The company has been collaborating with the state fire department for the past several months to assess the scope of the task.
“We have spent many hours walking this project, re-designing and trying to come up with a price. The price is $592,000. This is per state fire drawing. A good portion of this job will require overtime,” Pat Sorensen of Tri-Phase Electric said in a letter.
Teacher bonuses
During Tuesday’s meeting, several teachers were awarded personal bonuses for their work in helping students meet educational benchmarks in Title I schools. The bonuses were paid through S.B. 222, or The Effective Teachers in High Poverty Incentive, passed by the Utah legislature during the 2023 general session. The law went into effect May 3 as an effort to retain teachers at low-income schools.
Michelle Eldredge, Provo City School District’s Director of Title I and III, introduced the award recipients. Qualifying teachers received the full $7,000 added to their paycheck this year.
“It’s pretty exciting, and it was a fun thing to visit them all last week (to inform them of their awards). I told them all they should go to Hawai’i with that incentive, they deserve it,” Eldredge said.
Teachers that received this award included Vicki Morrise, Jacklyn Phillips, and Rachael Machaela Cowart from Franklin Elementary School; Sharon Unufe, Tierra Wakefield, Cassidy Chadwick, Melanie Staten, and Paris Belback from Timpanogos Elementary School; and Maren Clayton, Lisa Bringhurst, and Amy Wright from Spring Creek Elementary School.
“Congratulations again to all the employees who were just recognized. We thank you so much for all you do for our schools and our students,” said Rebecca Nielsen, school board president.
To qualify, teachers must work at schools where more than 20% of enrolled students are experiencing intergenerational poverty or a minimum of 70% of their students qualify for free or discounted lunch.
The teachers must also “have 85% of their students make typical or better progress on Acadience reading or math. For teachers in grades 4-6, qualifying teachers must have 70% of their students make growth on either ELA, MA or SCI RISE tests,” according to the bill.
The bonuses are funded 50/50 by the Utah State Board of Education and the district’s Title I department. Awards are based on data from two years prior to the current school year.
