West Haven and Weber School District Partner to Create Gym Facilities in New School | News, Sports, Jobs

WEST HAVEN — As West Haven’s new middle school takes shape, city officials and the Weber School District have finalized an agreement to share use of the facility’s gym.

“It’s really about maximizing the investment,” said Matt Jensen, the western haven city ​​manager. Call it public-public cooperation.

West Haven will have access to gym facilities when school is closed – on weekends and after 5:30 p.m. each weekday – allowing it to meet the growing demand for recreational programs as the city’s population increase. The city will also cover the $3.19 million cost of expanding the gymnasium beyond the school’s original design scope, far less than the estimated $10-12 million it could have cost West Haven to build its own stand-alone facility.

The school district, meanwhile, has a larger gym during school hours than envisioned in the original junior high design. A second gymnasium will be built above the original, according to the expanded plans, according to Jensen.

It’s a “true win-win” scenario, said Robert Peterson, director of business administration for the district.

West Haven City Council approved the arrangement with the school district Aug. 17 and Weber School Board OKed the plan last Wednesday.

Jon Ritchie, chairman of the Weber School Board, said the agreement helps solidify the relationship between the district and West Haven. “We want (to be) part of the community and that just helps us to be part of that community,” he said.

Also last Wednesday, the school board chose a new name for the new school – Mountain View Junior High School. According to the action, the school’s nickname will be the Mavericks and its colors will be teal and charcoal gray. A special committee of school and community representatives helped find the name.

The new middle school at 2700 W. 2100 South, slated for completion in time for the 2024-25 school year, is one of three new schools to be built thanks to voter approval of a 279 bond issue. million in 2021. A new high school and a new elementary school are also being built with the money while Roosevelt Elementary will be rebuilt.

The initial estimated price for the new high school was $51 million, but it later rose to $59 million and the expanded gym facilities pushed the price up to around $62 million, according to spokesperson Lane Findlay. of the school district. Jensen said the city would receive the $3.19 million to cover its share of the gym’s costs from the Park Impact Fee assessed on new developments.

The arrangement parallels an agreement between the district and the town of South Ogden that allows him to use gym facilities at South Ogden Junior High School.

Similarly, Harrisville has recreational offerings from Orion High School’s gym facilities, but space is limited, according to Michelle Tait, the city’s mayor. Orion is also part of WSD.

The Orion gym “isn’t very big, to begin with, and they use it a lot,” Tait said.

As a result, Harrisville city officials are asking voters a question in the Nov. 8 general election ballot, offering $6 million in bail for a new recreation building as demand for recreational offerings surges.

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