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Spanish Fork High School Principal Matt Christensen cuts the ribbon for the new Spanish Fork High School on Monday, May 20, 2024.

Carlene Coombs, Daily Herald

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The front of the new Spanish Fork High School, where a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Monday, May 20, 2024.

Carlene Coombs, Daily Herald

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Community members walk through the halls of the new Spanish Fork High School during a public tour Monday, May 20, 2024.

Carlene Coombs, Daily Herald

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Community members tour the new Spanish Fork High School on Monday, May 20, 2024.

Carlene Coombs, Daily Herald

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The new Spanish Fork High School marquee greets visitors Monday, May 20, 2024.

Carlene Coombs, Daily Herald

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Nebo School District Superintendent Rick Nielsen speaks at a ribbon-cutting for the new Spanish Fork High School on Monday, May 20, 2024.

Carlene Coombs, Daily Herald

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One of two gymnasiums in the new Spanish Fork High School can be seen Monday, May 20, 2024.

Carlene Coombs, Daily Herald

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The welding shop in the new Spanish Fork High School, pictured Monday, May 20, 2024.

Carlene Coombs, Daily Herald

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Nebo School District Board member John Taylor speaks at a ribbon-cutting for the new Spanish Fork High School on Monday, May 20, 2024.

Carlene Coombs, Daily Herald

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A classroom for culinary classes at the new Spanish Fork High School, shown Monday, May 20, 2024.

Carlene Coombs, Daily Herald

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Spanish Fork High School Principal Matt Christensen speaks at a ribbon-cutting for the new Spanish Fork High School on Monday, May 20, 2024.

Carlene Coombs, Daily Herald

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Community members, high school students and faculty crowded together in the rain at the entrance of the new Spanish Fork High School on Monday evening, waiting to get a look inside the new facility.

“While we bid farewell to the familiar sights and sounds of our old home, we also embrace the opportunity that this new space presents,” SFHS Principal Matt Christensen said during a ribbon-cutting.

“Today, we step into a state-of-the-art facility designed to inspire and empower the next generation of learners. It’s not just a building, it’s a canvas upon which we will paint new memories, create new traditions and continue to shape the future,” he said.

This is the first of three new high school builds to open as Nebo School District reconstructs a handful of schools that initially were built decades ago.

The old Spanish Fork High was built in 1962, said Nebo school board member John Taylor, noting that the school’s first class of students attended courses while witnessing historic events like the Cuban Missile Crisis and the first American to orbit the Earth.

Taylor said the new building is designed to be a secure space for students to learn using new technologies.

“It’s also my sincere hope that it (the school) will inspire our children to lead our nation through the inevitable crises that are and will continue to confront us as they did in 1962,” Taylor said.

The new school will be 369,707 square feet with 91 classrooms, two gymnasiums, an auditorium, a welding shop and space for other technical classes. The campus also includes new sports fields, such as a football field. A new Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints seminary building also was built just north of the school and already has been open for some time.

The new campus contains one main classroom building, contrasting with the old school, which was made up of several smaller buildings clustered together with a grassy commons at the center.

On Monday, ribbon-cutting attendees were invited to tour the halls of the new school and explore the classrooms. The building isn’t fully complete yet, with some finishing touches needed on the auditorium, flooring in some areas and a few classrooms.

The interior features red lockers lining the halls, gray stone walls and brightly lit classrooms with a vast indoor common area in the front with a large SFHS logo painted in red on the light-gray floor.

During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Christensen urged students to “remember that this space belongs to you.”

“Let it be a place where you challenge yourself, explore your passions and dare to dream big,” he said.

Speaking to teachers and faculty, Christensen said the school staff’s dedication has laid “a foundation for excellence in education.”

“Let us continue to foster a culture of innovation and collaboration,” he said. “Together, we will continue to inspire and empower our students to reach new heights.”

Taylor thanked citizens who voted to approve the 2018 bond that provided the funds to build the new SFHS as well as other schools in the district.

A new Payson High School and Springville High School also are under construction, with the original buildings, which were built in the 1960s, also set to be demolished. The old Spanish Fork High is scheduled to begin demolition next month.

The student population in Nebo School District has steadily grown from about 32,000 students in 2016 to about 35,500 in 2022.

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