Dixon Site Information

October 29th, 2024 /
Shauna Sprunger /
Business, Community Essentials Features, News, Updates/Announcements

Download Slides From Dixon Site Informational Meeting The information from the Dixon site slides is provided below.
Download Spanish Slides from Dixon Site Informational Meeting

The three options below are option the district is considering for the Dixon site. No matter the option chosen, the current Dixon building will be torn down and replaced with a new building due to safety considerations and the need to align with current building codes.

We would love to hear your feedback. Please review the following options and fill out the feedback form at the end of this post.

Option 1: CTE & Other Programs

Career and Technical Education Site for Secondary Students
- Possible programs: Aviation, Construction Management, Cosmetology, Fire Science and/or Criminal Law, Teaching as a Profession, Health Sciences
- Expansion of our Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS)
  - Real world experience for students working with local companies to develop real solutions
  - Out of space at the NuSkin building
  - Business & Marketing, Engineering and Industrial Design, Digital Design, Software Development, Health Sciences
Permanent home for East Bay Post High
Permanent home for Adult Education
Permanent home for Community Education (ESL classes, etc.)
Possible Daycare & Preschool for Children of Employees
District Offices
Community Pantry
Auditorium for Community Events
Green Space

Benefits

Removes transportation barriers for students who struggle to get to courses offered at Mountainland Tech Center or at UVU
Expands CAPS offerings and allows for more space for our students
Accessible to THS, PHS, and IHS students
Provides access to high demand programs without students giving up 3 classes per day by attending MTEC
Provides incentive for employees to stay in Provo City School District with access to daycare and preschool
Centrally located to be used as a community center
Creating a CTE site for secondary students allows us to expand course offerings, especially in light of new graduation requirements likely to be adopted
Easier to hire and maintain CTE teachers because we can hire them full-time since they serve more than one secondary school
Removes transportation barriers for students wanting to be part of a CTE pathway or certification program

Concerns

Timpanogos Elementary would still be overcrowded unless boundaries are redrawn; the school is still on a busy street
Start-up costs for some of these programs; seek additional grants and funding
Shifts FTE from some CTE programs into others based on demands from students and industry
If we leave Timpanogos where it is currently located, we will likely have to adjust boundaries to accommodate the student population. (We will likely need to adjust boundaries anyway as part of our boundary and feasibility study, so it may not be quite the disadvantage that it seems.)

Cost

Approximately $50-75 million cost
- Depends on what we finally decide to include (i.e. auditorium, district office, etc.)

Option 2: Move Timpanogos & Other Programs

Rebuild Timpanogos Elementary on the Dixon site
Retrofit the current Timpanogos Elementary to house a Career and Technical Education site for secondary students and house the district office
Possible Daycare & preschool for children of employees
District offices at the current Timpanogos Elementary
Use one of our other properties to house East Bay Post High, Adult Education, Community Education based on results of boundary and feasibility study so that we are utilizing our properties effectively

Benefits

Moves Timpanogos Elementary off of 500 West which is a busy road for students and parents to navigate
Allows for better play space areas for students
Addresses current space and capacity issues at Timpanogos – 634 students
Allows for space for an onsite preschool and community center (pantry, etc.)
Expands CAPS offerings and allows for more space for our students
Accessible to THS, PHS, and IHS students
Provides access to high demand programs without students giving up 3 classes per day by attending MTEC
Provides incentive for employees to stay in Provo City School District with access to daycare and preschool
Removes transportation barriers for students wanting to be part of a CTE pathway or certification program
Major advantage of this proposal is it solves our facility needs for the next five years.
Provides permanent home for several programs that are in temporary locations and/or buildings

Concerns

Creates frustration with the public since Timpanogos Elementary is not that old, yet we are rebuilding it at a different location
Start-up costs for some of these programs; seek additional grants and funding
Cost is higher since we are rebuilding and retrofitting
Shifts FTE from some CTE programs into others based on demands from students and industry
Major downside is this option costs more money than to leave Timpanogos Elementary at its current location

Cost

Approximately $75 million cost
- Elementary school ($40-50 million)
- Retrofit of current Timpanogos Elementary ($25 million)

Option 3: Dual Language Immersion School

Build an elementary school at the Dixon site that houses two of our four languages for Dual Language Immersion
Convert another elementary school to a language school for the other two languages for Dual Language Immersion
Use extra space at elementary schools that formerly had language programs to create permanent homes for Community Education, Adult Education, and/or East Bay Post High School

Benefits

Remove the segregation of students between those in DLI and those who are not; all students at two locations would be learning another language
Greater integration of students during specialty classes so they are not always with the same students for their entire schedule
Greater efficiency of the DLI model, although adjustments likely need to be made to our DLI class size policy

Disadvantages

Fewer students may choose DLI because it is no longer located at their neighborhood school
Increased cost because of the desire to provide transportation to increase access to the programs for students across the district
Additional funds would be needed to retrofit other schools to provide permanent locations for other programs
Does not address our other facility needs

Cost

$45-$50 million to build an elementary school
- While the cost is less, we need to remember that it does not immediately address our other facility needs
Additional funds would be needed to retrofit other schools to find the spaces needed districtwide

Commonly Asked Questions

How can we afford to pay for the Dixon site when we also have to finish the rebuild of Timpview High School? How would we finance these construction projects?
- Currently, Municipal Building Authority bonds are close to the same rate as G.O. bonds. We could issue $55 million to finish the construction of Timpview. (approximate cost to finish Timpview construction) This would allow us to continue the construction of Timpview, and with one of our bonds falling off, it would remain affordable (minimal impact). Provo Peaks bond is falling off.
- Then we could solicit a bond from the public for the $50-75 million needed for the Dixon site and/or reconfiguration of the current Timpanogos Elementary. If this bond did not pass, we would still honor our commitment to the Dixon community and issue an additional Municipal Building Authority bond.
Why would we continue the construction of Timpview and rebuild the Dixon site if we have to secure bonds to do so?
- $50 million would be saving $10 million over the course of the next five years which means we wouldn’t be able to maintain any of our current facilities. 5% can be carried over on restricted fund.
Are we finished with the construction at Timpview? How will we pay for this AND the Dixon Project?
- Timpview Construction continues and will need to continue to create a facility that is safe for students and employees
  - Auditorium, Administration, Cafeteria, Performing Arts, CTE Classroom Wing
- Utilize a Municipal Building Authority Bond or place a General Obligation Bond on the ballot
Why would we use a Municipal Building Authority Bond instead of a General Obligation Bond?
- Interest rates of the two bonds are not that different
  - Average MBA Coupon rate – 4.62%
  - Average GO Coupon rate – 4.52%
- Allows us to begin the construction projects sooner
  - General Obligation Bond will delay all projects by another year (at least)
How will these projects impact our property taxes?
- $60,000,000 (Timpview completion) – assuming full issue
  - $500,000 home value ($275,000 taxable value)
  - $122 per year (MBA bond)
  - $121 per year (GO bond)
- Every $20 million beyond would be either $35-$36 per year for a $500,000 home value depending on bond type
How will these construction projects benefit our students and our community? How do they fit in with the district’s newly adopted strategic plan?
- Safety for students
- Postsecondary opportunities for students
- Onsite community Resource Center
- Provides homes for our programs that only have temporary locations
  - Aligns with our Strategic Plan
What is the timeline for the projects?
- Continue Timpview construction beginning in Spring 2025
  - 4 year completion timeline
- Begin design for Dixon site in Spring-Summer 2025
- Construction could begin in January 2026