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FARMINGTON — Davis County will begin the construction of a new school, as well as rebuilds of faltering ones, within the next two years after residents on Tuesday voted in favor of a $475 million bond for the Davis School District.
"Davis School District is thrilled voters chose to invest in our students with the passage of the bond. While the $475 million bond will not increase the tax rate, we understand the responsibility placed upon us by taxpayers. We are certain these projects will have a positive impact on the educational experience for generations to come," Hailey Higgins, communication specialist with the district, said in a statement.
The headliner for the first two years of construction is a new junior high school that will be located at the southeast corner of 700 South and 4500 West in West Point.
Plans for the new school are expected to be completed in December 2022 with a bid coming in January 2023.
The district said that it expects construction to begin a month after the bid and after board approval, in February 2023. After all this, they expect the project to be completed by fall of 2025.
Along with a new school, the bond money will also be going toward seismic upgrades to two existing schools.
The first school due for a facelift is Sunset Junior High School, where Principal Tami Oliver says hot outdoor temperatures make for hot classrooms.
"We don't have air conditioning. I actually took some temperatures and we had classrooms that were in the 86- to 88-degree range," Oliver said. "Teachers are trying to teach when kids are hot, and when they're too hot, they can't think."
Besides the heat, the building is fairly small for a school that brings together the communities of South Weber, Clinton and Sunset and is home to just under 1,000 students.
"We just don't have that space for kids to break off and collaborate," Oliver said, adding that it's also showing signs of wear and tear due to its age.
"A new building would be good for our community," she said.
Both junior high construction projects will be undertaken by Hogan & Associates, which was approved by the board on Sept. 6 in anticipation of the bond's passage, the district said.
Plans for the rebuild will be completed in January 2023 with construction beginning after board approval in March 2023. The district estimates the rebuild to be completed by 2025, though it didn't specify when.
The third project will see Bountiful Elementary get a much-needed rebuild.
"Our students, faculty and staff, and community are so excited to have a new building with plenty of space for students to learn and grow. We would like to carry the great spirit and pride of Bountiful Elementary into a new building and we look forward to the opportunity to expand our arts and academic programs with an updated facility," Bountiful Elementary Principal Kristin McDonough said in a statement.
Design plans for the rebuild will begin in January 2023 with an estimated completion date of fall 2025.
