A new year. A new home. A fresh start. The coming school year will be an exciting time for the students of Hillcrest High.
The new home of the Huskies is nearing completion, and to celebrate we’re hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony and Open House event on Friday, Aug. 13. Students, parents, teachers, alumni, and community members are invited to attend the event, which kicks off at 6 p.m. outside the east entrance to the Student Commons.
Hillcrest is one of three new-and-improved high schools to open this fall in Canyons District. Brighton High was also rebuilt and Alta High received a major renovation. Construction crews broke ground three years ago, but the path to these projects was paved with voter approval of a general obligation bond in 2017.
“This is a major accomplishment many years in the making,” says Canyons District Board of Education President Nancy Tingey. “With the completion of these projects, every community within Canyons will have access to safe, modern high schools that reflect the high aspirations and achievements that our students set for themselves. We’re not just building schools, we’re building the future. These new schools will benefit generations to come and wouldn’t have been possible without the trust and support of our patrons.”
Tackling the construction of all three high schools at once was ambitious. But in order to keep costs contained, it was imperative to get to work as quickly as possible, says CSD’s Business Administrator Leon Wilcox.
Having overcome pandemic-related labor shortages and supply-chain disruptions, construction crews are racing to put finishing touches to classrooms and other critical areas in time for first day of the 2021-2022 school year. “Westland Construction and FFKR Architects have truly pulled off miracles to keep this project on track,” Wilcox said, noting that parking areas, landscaping, and other features should come on line later this fall.
Constructed to meet seismic and other standards and wired to support emerging teaching technologies, the new steel-based structure is built to last.
The building was completed in phases so as to allow the campus to remain open and operational throughout the construction. Attention was paid to preserving recent investments, such as Hillcrest’s updated football stadium. Commons areas are designed to be multi-functional and infuse the building with the learning benefits of natural light. The building is also designed to be more energy efficient.
Among other features are the addition of:
- Multi-purpose fieldhouse and athletic facilities
- High-tech auditorium and performing arts classrooms
- Group study and teacher-collaboration areas
- Classroom wings that lock down and are configured to provide administrators with clear lines of sight for safety
- Improved parking and traffic flow
