HOLLADAY, Utah -- It’s new, it’s high tech and it’s open; Monday was the first day in their new building for students at Olympus High School.
The new school is 430,000 square feet in size, which is more than double the size of the old building. Senior student Zac Wilson said the new school is big enough that it can be tough to navigate.
“It’s crazy, its huge,” he said. “They handed out maps, and it’s just hard to find things, but its way cool.”
The doors to the new building opened Monday after the old building served as home for 60 years. Students like Kate Moss said the change is hard to wrap their minds around.
“It’s so weird—I can’t comprehend it,” she said.
Mark Manning, Olympus High School Principal, said the old building will be remembered fondly.
“There's a lot of tender feelings, but the building—It just kind of wore itself out," he said.
The old building had to be replaced due to outdated building codes and asbestos. A growing student body also influenced the decision to build the new facility. The school cost $75 million to build, which was funded by a voter-approved construction bond.
Manning said the new building is larger and more technologically advanced than the old one.
“The teachers are very excited with the classrooms,” he said. “They're a little bit larger. We have a lot of computers in the building, more labs and computers that will be wireless in the classrooms.”
The new school is three stories tall, and it boasts a 1,400 seat performing arts theater, a 164 seat lecture hall, a large commons area and an indoor track. Wilson said the improvements are great.
“It’s awesome,” he said. “We're really lucky to be here.”
The new building stands right next to the old building. The old building will be torn down later this month, and construction will begin on a new baseball and soccer field, as well as a competitive swimming pool.
Manning summed up the feeling at Olympus High School on Monday.
“It’s a great day to be a Titan,” he said.
The school will be holding a public open house on Wednesday, April 17 at 6:30 p.m. Everyone is invited to come and see the new school.
