Corner Canyon High adds new classrooms, expanded lunchroom

By Julie Slama | [email protected]

In August 2019, Corner Canyon High School will have 24 additional classrooms and an expanded lunchroom to accommodate the enrollment of 2,300 students.

“Our teachers are sharing classrooms so this will ease that accommodation,” Principal Darrell Jensen said about the school that was built for 500 fewer students. “I’m looking forward to the cafeteria wing so there will be more seating for students. It will allow the commons area to have more room for school events.”

Construction on the five-and-one-half-year-old high school began in fall 2018, made possible with the voters’ 2017 approval of the $283-million bond, which also will include new school buildings at Hillcrest High, Brighton High, Union Middle, Midvalley and Peruvian Park elementaries, a new West Draper Elementary, a new White City Elementary as well as extensive remodeling at Alta High.

Corner Canyon’s construction cost, which also includes a maintenance shed, are estimated at $10 million, Canyons School District Business Manager and Chief Financial Officer Leon Wilcox said.

By early winter, the walls were going up on the northern classroom wing and were anticipated to be poured in the southern classroom wing as well as the cafeteria foundation. During the winter months, Jensen said exterior windows, sheeting and drywall were scheduled.

Wilcox said the painting, carpentry and cabinetry should be completed this spring.

“By June, we want the floors to be finished and put in the doors and hardware,” Jensen said. “We’ll go over the final punch list in July so we’re ready for school in August.”

For the most part, Jensen said there have been no mishaps with construction and the community has been supportive.

“When they first started the demolition of the vestibules, we could feel the school shake those four days, but that’s been about it,” he said, adding that with rerouting student traffic they added more time to allow students to get to class on time.

The 12 additional classrooms per wing will mostly be used as traditional classrooms with one serving as a photo computer lab, Jensen said. Since there is no plumbing needed in those rooms, Jensen expects the project to be on time. All the classrooms will be wired for technology, he added.

“The classroom wings should give us about 13,000 more square feet,” he said.

The original building design was created to add more classrooms to the wings, if necessary, Wilcox said. Although the plans allowed for the possibility of 32 classrooms, Wilcox said that after talking with school and community members, the Board of Education decided on 24 rooms.

Wilcox said the original architect, Curtis Livingston, with Curtis Miner Architecture, is working with Hogan Construction, the original construction company, on the project.

In the cafeteria, about 4,700 square feet will allow for more student seating.

To ensure student safety, students have practiced fire drills using different emergency exits. Construction crews also have taken part, Jensen said, and have kept sidewalks clear for foot traffic.

“Everything has been straightforward and on time,” he said. “It should go smoothly. Students should see an expanded school come fall.”