Emery School District Releases Building Update

Emery School District Press Release

In November 2020, Emery County citizens supported the Emery School District by passing a $75 million bond for construction projects. Grateful and appreciative, the district moved forward working with KMA Architects, Westland Construction and Bud Mahas Construction designing, bidding and starting the construction on all planned projects including construction of a new Ferron Elementary School, a new Emery High School and addition to Bookcliff Elementary.

These projects, unfortunately, have been negatively impacted by the nationwide trend of dramatic price escalation and shortages of construction materials, resulting in longer than expected lead times and unanticipated costs. This has presented daily challenges and will play a big part in finalizing Emery High’s building design. For photo updates, please visit our website at: https://www.emeryschools.org/BuildingUpdates.

Please note that ECSD bond funding is separate from the judgment levy that was shown on your recent tax estimates. The judgment levy was implemented to repay an appealed taxation from 2015. You can find more information about the judgment levy at https://etvnews.com/what-citizens-should-know-about-the-emery-county-judgement-tax-levy/

BOOKCLIFF ELEMENTARY: This project is a two-classroom addition along with a teacher’s prep room. This allowed the district to remove an older portable trailer from the school site and move the teachers’ prep area from the media center. Additional remodeling to the exterior wall of the media center was altered as well as ceiling renovation to remove previous sound baffles, which have been replaced with tectum panels. This has created a more open atmosphere for the media center and allows student areas/tables that were not possible before. The project also includes a restoration of a play area north of the addition along with sod replacement where the portable was removed.

Roofing material has been difficult to schedule, but the addition is still planned to be ready October of this year.

FERRON ELEMENTARY: The 1918 building, which was the last remnant of the ‘Old South Emery,’ was demolished this spring, which was a bittersweet day for many. The infrastructure was delayed when large remnants of the old South Emery were found 6-12 feet deep, but the outline of the entire new building is now visible in footers and foundation walls and masonry has begun.

The new building will have 10 regular classrooms separated between lower and higher-grade wings, two kindergarten rooms, preschool and resource classrooms, office/counseling areas, a faculty room, a full gymnasium (which is not usually built in modern elementaries), cafeteria/kitchen area, and a fenced preschool and kindergarten play area. A storage unit for maintenance will also be added in close proximity to the school. A full parking lot with bus drop off and grass areas will be built where the current building stands.

Construction is still on schedule for the building to be finished in May. At that time, the current building can be demolished and parking can be built during the summer recess, allowing the school to resume in the new building fall 2022.

EMERY HIGH: Construction on the sports complex has begun. The field area is being constructed first to allow for movement of the current football field. The new high school building will then be erected partially on the current football field and will connect the existing Spartan Center and auditorium buildings to the new school building. By building on a new footprint, students will be able to attend school during the construction phases without major disruption.

The southern part of the campus has seen a complete renovation. Where the parking lot once was is now an almost completed turf football/soccer stadium with home/visitor seating, a press box and rubberized track.

The fieldhouse (future name “The Armory”) is starting to be erected on schedule in spite of the incredible delay in metal materials. This building will have a 55-yard turf area, allowing indoor practice for such sports as football, softball, baseball or golf along with batting cages. There will also be a full-size gym for court sports. Around the gym and turf areas, there will be a two-lane track for runners. The fieldhouse will also contain home and visitor locker rooms on the main level with the restrooms and a concession area that will serve all sport areas. The smaller second story will consist of a scorer’s booth for baseball and softball along with storage areas.

The district has been working with Castle Valley Special Service District and the Water Conservancy District on the issue of planting sod on the baseball and softball fields this fall. There has been much discussion about the water availability; but with their support, the sod will be planted to make the fields available for sports next spring. All other landscaping will be postponed until further water resources can be measured.

The baseball and softball fields will have full dugouts with an equipment storage area along with bullpens and batting cages. Updated tennis courts will be built with enough courts to host region competitions and some painted for pickle ball.

We appreciate everyone’s flexibility with the current lack of parking at Emery High School during construction, especially Castle Dale City for allowing us additional parking stalls on Spartan Avenue.

The science wing is planned to be torn down next summer and Phase I of the main building construction will begin. This phase will include the majority of the school, including the portion to be built on the current football field. The exact timeline for the bidding of Phase I has not been solidified but is aimed for January 2022.

After Phase I completion, there will be a transition phase for the partially completed new building – consisting of several classrooms, the office, cafeteria, auxiliary gym, counseling center, science/math on second story and the CTE wing – these will be completed and ready for occupancy. The rest of the new building (Phase II) will continue after the old building is demolished, allowing the completion of additional classroom spaces, music/drama classrooms, along with a new parking lot and drop off zone. The entire project is estimated to be completed by late winter 2024 or early spring 2025.