Provo School District has proposed to pass a bond adding a tax to be used for rebuilding many old schools in the district, as well as add security to their outdated safety regulations. The bond includes building seven new schools, including: Timpview, Dixon Middle, and Wasatch Elementary. For the other schools in the district, safety and security measurements would be added. 

This new Timpview is estimated to cost as much as $145 million. A significant contrast to Provo High School’s $80 million build. The additional costs are due to, well, additional difficulties. Continuing classes using the same plot of land, while having a larger population of students makes for difficulty in establishing the details for the execution of the plan. 

Construction would occur in phases, rebuilding section at a time. Excluded would be the Thunderdome, the football field, and the baseball field. As for the process, all of the classrooms in the section that are being rebuilt would have to be temporarily removed. Portables are being considered for temporary assignment, but are trying to be avoided as much as possible.

Although the cost of construction has gone up (due to inflation), the school district has made clear the need for prioritizing safety. Engineers have evaluated Timpview and every year our school gets considerably worse, and as Dr. Montero says, “We want to build now to secure our future.” 

Timpview was originally built in the 70’s, the safety standards from that time are far different than modern standards today. The problem is our school is resting on clay, rather than foundational pillars. Our school is slowly shifting beneath us, disrupting many pipes and plumbing underneath our school, causing many safety issues for the students. Many senior students may remember a day their freshman year when Dr. Montero came on the intercom and told us that we could all go home early due to a plumbing problem.

With meeting modern safety standards, Dr. Montero explains that, “The technology today is very different from back when they originally built the school in the 70’s. We’re taking that into account. We want to have a space where we can fulfill that mission of being inclusive. Where we can come together, collaborate, and feel a sense of connection with each other.”  

If you’re a student, the first half of this article may have gone in one ear and out the other, but how will this all affect you directly?

With a mix of crowded stalls, steep hills, and irresponsible high school drivers, it can be very difficult to safely maneuver through the parking lot. The parking lot is going to be a crucial part of the rebuild since we need to build on top of it, so student parking may be limited. When they build a section over a parking lot, they could also potentially use the space they tore down for temporary parking.

As for the purchasing of the Timp-Kiwanis park, this will strictly be for sports and other recreational purposes. So that should debunk rumors of the school being expanded into that area. 

Of course, with every legislative action, there is also controversy. Some feel like their views are being dismissed and many are concerned about the financial toll this could put on them. Rebuilding Timpview is just one piece of the bond, the district is planning on building a few other schools with other security measurements.

If the bond passes, the district estimates that construction could begin as soon as spring 2020. It could be done by 2024 if all goes well.