Emery County School District
2020 Bond Election
Emery High School
Projected Cost: $55,000,000
Downloadable PDF
The Emery School District Facilities Committee has determined that Emery High School is a priority school for new construction. Our approach in designing a new Emery High campus is to meet the needs of our students now as well as decades in the future, while not being frivolous with anything. The intention is that the campus be functional, efficient, well-designed, and well-built as it is expected to last between 50-70 years.
The proposed Emery High School rebuild would include keeping the Spartan Center and Auditorium and redesigning the remainder of the campus. The new high school is being designed to connect the Spartan Center and Auditorium and would extend across the current football field. This would allow for much of the new building to be constructed while school is in session, and with less phasing than would be required if building over the existing school. The Spartan Center and Auditorium will need upgrades which will be completed as needed, but not necessarily at the same time as the campus rebuild. The current school would be demolished following construction.
The new campus design would include the following components:
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Although final design options & details are yet to be determined, this is an example of the school design:
.JPG)
Why is Emery High a Replacement Priority?
Emery High School was identified by both the VCBO assessment and the District Facilities Committee as the No. 1 priority for upgrade. The original structure was built in 1961 with additions in 1970, shop building; 1982, auditorium; 1989, Science Wing; and 1998, Spartan Center. Initially, the high school was built for 200-300 students, but by the mid-1990s the school reached its peak enrollment (10-12) at over 800 students.
After that peak, enrollment continued to decline until it settled into about 450 students in the first decade of the 21st Century. However, beginning with the 2017-18 school year, the district realigned schools by moving sixth graders to Canyon View and San Rafael Junior Highs, creating middle schools, and ninth graders from those junior highs/middle schools to Emery High. The changes did not involve Green River High School or Book Cliff Elementary.
The impact, however, left five of the six district elementary schools as K-5, the two middle schools as 6-8, and Emery High as 9-12 with an additional 150 students, bumping the total enrollment at Emery High to over 650 students. The outcome of this student transition, although supported overwhelmingly by the high school and its stakeholders, was a critical need for space. Four mobile classrooms were added to the school campus to meet the needs of the additional students as well as the need for more teachers.
At the same time that the student transition was taking place, the Emery School District began a campaign to add Career and Technical Education (CTE) Pathways and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) classes to the secondary schedule. With the aging infrastructure at Emery High, the increase in student numbers, and the need for more “state-of-the-art” facilities to advance CTE and STEM programs, the school found itself in a “perfect storm” of critical needs.
In 2012, the Emery School Board commissioned a review of all schools and district facilities to establish priority needs. The outcome of that study, relevant to Emery High School, was to fix or tear down the original 1961 structure, the 1970 additions that include the media center and cafeteria, and the school’s shop facilities. The 2012 report also included recommended upgrades of the auditorium, the Science Wing, and the Spartan Center.
It is noteworthy to report that Emery High is functional and has progressed through these challenges. The school and grounds are well maintained and taken care of by custodians and maintenance workers.
Emery High has undergone capital improvements annually that have contributed to the effectiveness of academic and non-academic programs. It certainly has remained on the surface the social and cultural icon of Emery County. What lies beyond the surface, however, is contributing to the problems that need attention, including plumbing, electrical, climate control, and school safety.
The Heating system is getting old and has problems with the heating controls, and with the remolding of the piping, it has become difficult to keep the system regulated which has become very inefficient. Correcting this would require a substantial cost to the district and have limited success especially in regards to improving overall efficiency. Cooling for all but the newer part of the buildings involves individual evaporative coolers and a water chiller system with cooling tower and mechanical refrigerated cooling for the old gym, fitness room, band room, cafeteria, auditorium. It has begun to fail and will require a substantial investment to repair.
Electrical systems for a building built in 1961 are inadequate for today’s electrical and technology needs. We only expect that demand to grow in the future. It has required several creative adaptations most of which have required surface-mounted molding for wires and cables as well as the installation of additional power panels and additional wiring. Most of the power in the building is at maximum capacity.
The Fire Alarm system has evolved over the years, including remodels into three separate systems that are interconnected. Some parts of the school have fire sprinklers, and some parts do not. Ideally we would prefer fire sprinklers throughout the entire school and a system that is addressable and all in one. The fire marshal is requesting this upgrade throughout the district which we have been doing two or three schools at a time. In order to stay up to code at Emery High School, a new system is required. This expense would cost less and be better utilized in a new building.
Water and Sewer systems
Throughout the school, besides being older and of an older technology, there is a lot of piping under the building that is inaccessible, so when we have had pipe failure, we have been required to reroute the water lines on the surface or around the outside of the building.
Roofing is an ongoing problem in every building. We are always trying to stay on top of it. Because of the uniqueness of Emery High School, roofing presents a challenge. We have to be vigilant to keep the roofing issues addressed as they arise, but in the near future it will require a substantial investment to correct roofing issues because of the age and condition of the structures. Asbestos, being an older building, was commonly used in construction. Over the years we have done many abatement projects and have encapsulated any that is remaining. The only way to get to the remaining asbestos would be to remove the building.
All remaining areas are maintained and inspected regularly. Maintenance documents are available upon request.
2020 Bond Election
Emery High School
Projected Cost: $55,000,000
Downloadable PDF
The Emery School District Facilities Committee has determined that Emery High School is a priority school for new construction. Our approach in designing a new Emery High campus is to meet the needs of our students now as well as decades in the future, while not being frivolous with anything. The intention is that the campus be functional, efficient, well-designed, and well-built as it is expected to last between 50-70 years.
The proposed Emery High School rebuild would include keeping the Spartan Center and Auditorium and redesigning the remainder of the campus. The new high school is being designed to connect the Spartan Center and Auditorium and would extend across the current football field. This would allow for much of the new building to be constructed while school is in session, and with less phasing than would be required if building over the existing school. The Spartan Center and Auditorium will need upgrades which will be completed as needed, but not necessarily at the same time as the campus rebuild. The current school would be demolished following construction.
The new campus design would include the following components:
- Modern square footage & classroom space to accommodate up to 700 students
- 21st-Century design, able to accommodate current and future technology and learning strategies
- Energy efficient design to reduce ongoing maintenance costs
- Larger shop areas for CTE offerings such as Welding, Shop, and Auto Mechanics
- Multiple Ednet & Concurrent Education rooms capable of group and individual remote learning options
- Convenient locations: Performing arts near the auditorium, fitness & dance near the auxiliary gym, etc.
- Multi-Purpose commons area that will serve as cafeteria and a central hub for the school
- Two-story design in some areas to improve efficiency and decrease cost
- Integration with the Auditorium & Spartan Center
- A modest fieldhouse to accommodate indoor practices for various outdoor extracurricular programs
- New outdoor athletic fields and facilities, designed around a central concourse with concessions and restrooms—our current fields and facilities are in great need of upgrades so there would be a significant cost to maintaining our current fields even if we weren’t redesigning the campus
Although final design options & details are yet to be determined, this is an example of the school design:
Why is Emery High a Replacement Priority?
Emery High School was identified by both the VCBO assessment and the District Facilities Committee as the No. 1 priority for upgrade. The original structure was built in 1961 with additions in 1970, shop building; 1982, auditorium; 1989, Science Wing; and 1998, Spartan Center. Initially, the high school was built for 200-300 students, but by the mid-1990s the school reached its peak enrollment (10-12) at over 800 students.
After that peak, enrollment continued to decline until it settled into about 450 students in the first decade of the 21st Century. However, beginning with the 2017-18 school year, the district realigned schools by moving sixth graders to Canyon View and San Rafael Junior Highs, creating middle schools, and ninth graders from those junior highs/middle schools to Emery High. The changes did not involve Green River High School or Book Cliff Elementary.
The impact, however, left five of the six district elementary schools as K-5, the two middle schools as 6-8, and Emery High as 9-12 with an additional 150 students, bumping the total enrollment at Emery High to over 650 students. The outcome of this student transition, although supported overwhelmingly by the high school and its stakeholders, was a critical need for space. Four mobile classrooms were added to the school campus to meet the needs of the additional students as well as the need for more teachers.
At the same time that the student transition was taking place, the Emery School District began a campaign to add Career and Technical Education (CTE) Pathways and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) classes to the secondary schedule. With the aging infrastructure at Emery High, the increase in student numbers, and the need for more “state-of-the-art” facilities to advance CTE and STEM programs, the school found itself in a “perfect storm” of critical needs.
In 2012, the Emery School Board commissioned a review of all schools and district facilities to establish priority needs. The outcome of that study, relevant to Emery High School, was to fix or tear down the original 1961 structure, the 1970 additions that include the media center and cafeteria, and the school’s shop facilities. The 2012 report also included recommended upgrades of the auditorium, the Science Wing, and the Spartan Center.
It is noteworthy to report that Emery High is functional and has progressed through these challenges. The school and grounds are well maintained and taken care of by custodians and maintenance workers.
Emery High has undergone capital improvements annually that have contributed to the effectiveness of academic and non-academic programs. It certainly has remained on the surface the social and cultural icon of Emery County. What lies beyond the surface, however, is contributing to the problems that need attention, including plumbing, electrical, climate control, and school safety.
The Heating system is getting old and has problems with the heating controls, and with the remolding of the piping, it has become difficult to keep the system regulated which has become very inefficient. Correcting this would require a substantial cost to the district and have limited success especially in regards to improving overall efficiency. Cooling for all but the newer part of the buildings involves individual evaporative coolers and a water chiller system with cooling tower and mechanical refrigerated cooling for the old gym, fitness room, band room, cafeteria, auditorium. It has begun to fail and will require a substantial investment to repair.
Electrical systems for a building built in 1961 are inadequate for today’s electrical and technology needs. We only expect that demand to grow in the future. It has required several creative adaptations most of which have required surface-mounted molding for wires and cables as well as the installation of additional power panels and additional wiring. Most of the power in the building is at maximum capacity.
The Fire Alarm system has evolved over the years, including remodels into three separate systems that are interconnected. Some parts of the school have fire sprinklers, and some parts do not. Ideally we would prefer fire sprinklers throughout the entire school and a system that is addressable and all in one. The fire marshal is requesting this upgrade throughout the district which we have been doing two or three schools at a time. In order to stay up to code at Emery High School, a new system is required. This expense would cost less and be better utilized in a new building.
Water and Sewer systems
Throughout the school, besides being older and of an older technology, there is a lot of piping under the building that is inaccessible, so when we have had pipe failure, we have been required to reroute the water lines on the surface or around the outside of the building.
Roofing is an ongoing problem in every building. We are always trying to stay on top of it. Because of the uniqueness of Emery High School, roofing presents a challenge. We have to be vigilant to keep the roofing issues addressed as they arise, but in the near future it will require a substantial investment to correct roofing issues because of the age and condition of the structures. Asbestos, being an older building, was commonly used in construction. Over the years we have done many abatement projects and have encapsulated any that is remaining. The only way to get to the remaining asbestos would be to remove the building.
All remaining areas are maintained and inspected regularly. Maintenance documents are available upon request.
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