Construction on the preschool and community centers at McPolin and Jeremy Ranch elementary schools finished in time to welcome students for the first day of the new school year Tuesday.
The district is now focused on completing four other projects at Trailside and Parley’s Park elementaries, Ecker Hill Middle School and Park City High School.
Preschool expansions are underway at Trailside and Parley’s Park similar to those done at McPolin and Jeremy Ranch. Chief Operations Officer Mike Tanner said during the Board of Education meeting Tuesday they are expected to be completed in the spring of 2025.
Ecker Hill Middle School and Park City High School are also expanding in preparation for welcoming students from Treasure Mountain Junior High. Treasure has eighth and ninth-grade students, but the district reports it will be decommissioned as renovation costs to bring the school to new standards are too high.
Ecker Hill will expand to take in the eighth graders while the high school will take the ninth graders. The district wants to turn the Kearns campus where Treasure is into a sports complex.
The Ecker Hill expansion includes two new wings, A and B. Tanner said Wing A was supposed to be finished before students returned for the 2024-2025 school year.
“99% of the work was completed. What wasn't complete was data wiring, internet access, intercoms, telephone,” he said.
Tanner said the area was unsafe for students so a contingency plan is in place to keep students out of the area. The wing is expected to be finished by Aug. 26.
Tanner said construction at Ecker Hill will continue on Wing B and the core of the building until around Jan. 6. Wing B will likely not be used until the 2025-26 school year when the eighth-grade students will be at the school.
Park City High School also saw a push to finish construction before students arrived this year. Tanner said around 100 workers were there a week before school started installing carpeting, furniture and data wiring in the new Career and Technical Education space.
“There's still some rough edges that we're working through, but certainly safe and productive and beautiful spaces for our teachers to walk into,” he said.
Superintendent Jill Gildea told KPCW Friday the high school has 19 career pathways that will call the CTE space home. Many pathways have special equipment to help students learn including a medical table to simulate surgeries.
“Students can actually manipulate and maneuver specific procedures so they can see what a real surgery might look like, which can really help kids think about, is this a career I'm passionate about?” Gildea said.
Tanner said construction on the high school is expected to be finished before the 2025-26 school year as well.
Click here for more information about Park City School District construction.
