We just had our 20-year reunion and saw how run-down the building was and how the school needed an update. I am super emotional about it, but really excited, too. – Shannon Quinn Jensen, 1991 graduate
HOLLADY — While students in the Granite School District are enjoying spring break next week, Olympus High School staff will be busy making a big move next door.
On April 8 the New Olympus High School campus will open its doors to its 1,700-member student body, starting a new era in Titan history.
“This demonstrates the ongoing commitment to our communities to provide the educational environment that meets the needs of the 21st-century student,” Ben Horsley, spokesman for Granite District, said.
In 2009, voters approved a $256 million bond to rebuild Olympus and Granger high schools, the two oldest schools in Granite School District. Both schools were built in the early 1950s and were not earthquake-resistant.
The cost of retrofitting the buildings was comparable to building new schools, Horsley said.
“The old building was not fit to facilitate modern technology, which is necessary for the 21st century classroom,” Horsley said.
In addition to its high-tech features, the new building is also environmentally friendly, fitted with cost-saving LED lighting and expanded access to natural light, which can enhance student learning.
The new facility will operate near its 1,800-student capacity, Horsley said.
Students were excited to visit their new school for the first time last week at an open house, where they received their schedules and had a chance to find their new classrooms.
“Everyone thinks it’s the coolest thing ever,” sophomore Shelbi Barton said. “It’s very exciting and a lot of us are very proud to get to move into the new building.”
Alumni, too, are excited about the new building.
Shannon Quinn Jensen, a 1991 graduate of Olympus High School who was cheerleader and yearbook staff member, said she was excited about the future of the school and disappointed she could not make it to the open house.
“We just had our 20-year reunion and saw how run-down the building was and how the school needed an update,” Jensen said. “I am super emotional about it, but really excited, too.”
E-mail: mmellor@deseretnews.com