ST. GEORGE — The new track and sports field at Hildale’s Water Canyon High School is expected to be completed earlier than originally anticipated.
The Washington County School Board announced plans for early completion during a special meeting Tuesday. Board members held a public hearing and voted to accept a bond project priority change that moves the timeline for the sports field forward.
The project was originally on the bond list for 2021 but will now begin construction later this year.
The change will also allow construction to be performed simultaneously with the Vocational Building at the school, according to physical facilities executive director Craig Hammer. Working on both projects at once not only saves the school district money but also puts the project in compliance with state legislation, he said.
Hammer said he is committed to finishing the bond projects each year on time and “to find ways to keep costs in line with projected budgets.” He noted that he doesn’t know why the plans didn’t originally include working on the two projects together but said this is the perfect time to combine them.
The company contracted to design the project told Hammer that the Vocational Building would need more dirt in order to solve elevation concerns. Dirt from the track and sports field will help address those problems.
“I think the community is a little anxious for those facilities,” Hammer said.
The plans for the Vocational Building are currently at 70% completion and are set to go to bid within the next few months.
“I think it’s a great step forward,” a community member at the meeting said. “As far as the community is concerned, I think the second some of that stuff starts taking place, I think you’re going to see a great increase in enrollment from the Arizona side (Colorado City).”
Members of the board unanimously voted to accept the bond project priority change.
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