SALT LAKE CITY — As the state’s oldest high school building continues to show its age, the Salt Lake City School District is asking voters to approve a $730 million bond to replace the aging West High School structure which dates back to 1921.
“Everything here is an after-fact,” said Isaac Astill, executive director of auxiliary services for the district. “There are a lot more efficient ways to do things now. We have a lot of challenges, even if it's just a small pump that goes down.”
Astill guided FOX 13 News on a tour of the tunnels under the high school. where many obsolete and out-of-service pipes sit abandoned because there is not an easy way to get them out of the building.
While the building has been updated and maintained through the years, Astill believes it’s time for a change.
“It’s served its purpose and it's time to look for the next opportunity,” he said.
On the ground level, school’s principal Jared Wright pointed out some of the deficiencies of a building dating back to the 1900s, now being used to educate children of the 21st century.
“Learning about what new high schools have, the space, the common area, the natural light they can have, technology and looking at where we are going with what we want to offer students here, our facility just can’t keep up with that,” said Wright, who is also a 1998 graduate of the school.
Smaller classrooms lack the number of electrical outlets and wiring needed for today’s technology, and issues exist for cooling and heating systems.
Wright understands that many longtime residents of Salt Lake City may be hesitant to say goodbye to a school building that is a part of the city’s history and holds many positive memories.
He believes the needs of the future outweigh the attachment to nostalgia.
“When people call and say, ‘How can you be in support of tearing it down?’ It’s like, come on in and I’ll show you. It just doesn’t meet the moment for what we need,” Wright said. “It served 104 years. It's time to build a building that will serve the next 104 years.”
The bond measure, which will be decided during the November election, also includes a rebuild of Highland High School and the athletic facilities at East High School.
