The North Summit School Board has selected VCBO Architecture to design a new high school.
Details regarding the architecture firm’s bid were not immediately available, but the company was one of multiple firms that responded to the school board’s request for proposal issued in March.
VCBO Architecture has worked on projects in Summit County before, including Park City Hospital and Newpark Resort.
The current high school hasn’t had any major modifications since its original construction in 1977. District officials told the public last summer that reinvesting in the structure would be more costly than building a new school, and the school board proposed a $114 million general obligation bond to fund the project.
Community members immediately spoke out against the bond proposal, though, citing increased property taxes, inflation, poverty levels and other economic concerns. Ultimately, the bond failed with 56% of voters in opposition.
Now, the school board is considering two options to fund construction: a second general obligation bond attempt in November or a lease revenue bond, which has a higher interest rate and does not require voter approval.
Discussions on specifics have largely been on hold, however. The school board decided to wait on making a decision following Superintendent Jerre Holmes’ retirement announcement in February, saying they preferred to have input from whomever the superintendent would be throughout the design and construction process.
But in the same meeting that the school board selected VCBO Architecture as the design firm, the board also appointed North Summit Middle School Principal Wade Murdock to the superintendent position.
North Summit High School is not currently listed as an agenda item for the school board’s next meeting on May 14, but discussions are expected to pick up again soon with a new superintendent in place and the November election just over the horizon.