Residents within the North Summit School District boundaries will see a multi-million dollar general obligation bond to build a new high school on their November ballots for the second year in a row.
North Summit High School, which was built in 1977, hasn’t had any major modifications to the building since its original construction. District officials told the public last summer that reinvesting in the current structure would be more costly than building a new high school, and the school board proposed a $114 million general obligation bond to fund the construction.
However, 56% of North Summit voters opposed the idea on Election Day last year. Community members cited increased property taxes, inflation, poverty levels and other economic concerns during public hearings on the bond measure.
Now, the school board hopes voters have changed their minds. Board members unanimously decided last week to place a $121 million general obligation bond on the ballot this November. Business Administrator Marci Sargent previously estimated an increase in the bond amount if the school district were to pursue it for a second time because of rising construction costs and interest rates.
The district briefly considered a lease revenue bond instead, which has a higher interest rate than a general obligation bond and does not require voters’ approval. Community members were unhappy with the proposed solution, though, and criticized the school board for persisting in its efforts to pass a bond measure after voters had already shot it down.
Whitney Ward from VCBO Architecture, the firm that evaluated the high school’s structure and was hired to design the new building, said at a public hearing last year that the North Summit High School roof is about twice as heavy as normal and sits on masonry that is not reinforced.
“There is a risk that in a seismic event, the pressure of the seismic event sort of rattles the school, the weight of the roof could cause more damage in an earthquake because of the height and weight and the unreinforced walls,” she said.
Other issues included electrical system vulnerabilities, boilers approaching the end of their life spans, no air conditioning and safety problems that newer school buildings eliminate. She said several of the entrances to the school are often propped open with rocks for easy access, and while newer education facilities have a multiple-door system to vet visitors before they enter the main building, the old high school does not.
Ward said the pool, which serves both the district and the broader North Summit community, has already surpassed its life expectancy.
“It’s really hard to gauge how the pool is holding up because it is hidden behind that PVC liner,” she said. “But there are some things to note that some of the filtration and water management systems aren’t up to current code.”
The school district hired VCBO Architecture to design the new building in April, and The Park Record, through an open records request, obtained the firm’s statement of interest and qualifications, which provides a clue regarding the overall cost and timeline of the project.
VCBO Architecture pointed to its previous work on four high schools — Timpview High School in Provo, Farmington High School in Davis County, Desert Peak High School in Tooele County and a high school in Saratoga Springs that’s still under construction — as examples of similar projects the firm has successfully undertaken.
Of the four schools, Farmington High School was the least expensive example with a price tag of almost $76 million for a 405,000-square-foot building in 2018. The new high school in Saratoga Springs is the most expensive, with construction expected to be completed in 2028 with a $180 million price tag for 390,000 square feet.
The proposal did not indicate whether inflation, material costs or other factors were behind the differences in price for the four high schools.
VCBO Architecture additionally provided a tentative timeline for the project, starting with a 10- to 12-month window to design the building and recreation facilities, including a new swimming pool. The firm estimated the design needs to be complete by April 2026 to begin the bidding process for contractors and materials the following month.
“To meet the occupancy deadline of August 2028, construction must be substantially complete by June 2028, providing time for project closeout and move-in,” the proposal said. “Given current market conditions, a school of this size will require at least 24 months to construct, meaning construction must begin by June 2026.”