- The Salt Lake City School District unveiled plans for West and Highland High School rebuilds.
- Highland High School's $300 million project starts spring 2026; completion is expected by 2030.
- West High Schools's $300 million rebuild starts March 2026; completion is expected between 2031 and 2033.
SALT LAKE CITY — Residents got their first peek at what two Salt Lake City School District high schools will look like on Monday and Tuesday, after the passage of a $730 million bond last year to rebuild.
The bond — approved by voters in the 2024 election — was proposed to fund plans to rebuild West and Highland high schools, as well as support other projects like a "modern" new athletic field house at East High School and sustainability projects throughout the district.
Both schools, according to the district's website, have "outdated infrastructure" that includes outdated plumbing and electrical systems, insufficient power outlets for student devices, poor heating and cooling systems and challenges in expanding access to modern-day tech and system management tools.
West High School was built in 1921 and holds the distinction of being the oldest high school in the state. Highland High School isn't much newer, having been built in 1955.
Highland High School
A crowd of students, parents and staff got the first glimpse at the future Highland High School during an open house hosted by the district Monday night.
"Highland is going to be torn down completely because the new building is being built, like, right around it," said district spokesperson Jason Olson. "We're staying on the same campus, so we're going to need the space."
Highland High School's rebuild is expected to cost $300 million, and the district anticipates breaking ground on the project next spring, with completion expected in 2030. The new academic campus will be about the same size as the current one, around 400,040 square feet.
Specific construction timelines aren't finalized yet, but the district said the project is expected to go out to bid in January 2026.
West High School
As the oldest high school in the state, West High School was due for not just an upgrade but a full-scale rebuild.
But, being the oldest high school in the state, West High is also a historic building that greets students and visitors alike with an iconic facade.
That facade won't be going away, Olson said.
"It's a 100-year-old building. It has a great history to it," Olson said.
He added that when the district first started looking into feasibility studies around what to do with it, the architect put together four options.
"The one that was the most economical, had the lowest impact on students and, ultimately, the one the board of education chose, is that they're going to build the new school across 300 West, so build it on the other side where the track and everything is now," Olson said. "And then they're going to keep the front entrance and the clock tower of the original building ... and use that as kind of an entrance into the athletic facilities."
Like Highland High School, West High's rebuild is expected to cost $300 million, and the district anticipates breaking ground on the project in March of 2026, with completion expected between 2031 and 2033.
Navigating the move
Olson said that when construction on the new schools starts next spring, both Highland and West students will be able to stay in the respective high school's existing buildings, as opposed to moving into portable classrooms.
This, he said, was another priority from the district's board of education when it came down to selecting a plan to move forward with construction.
Through the bond, Highland High School would be rebuilt with on-site solar power and ground-source heat pumps, and West High School would be rebuilt with on-site solar power.
Part of the respective rebuilds for the two schools will also include constructing indoor field houses for athletics at West and Highland High.
