Provo City School Board members discussed the future of the Dixon site on Sept. 19, including a scenario to rebuild an elementary school at Dixon and repurpose Timpanogos for adult education, East Bay Post High and potential CTE or district uses.

Board president Jennifer Partridge framed the discussion by listing district needs that have been raised in recent years: a permanent home for East Bay Post High, space for adult education and CTE programming, and eventually consolidated district office space. Devon Daley, the district's business administrator, presented high-level cost and timeline estimates and funding options.

Key cost and timing figures Daley presented (estimates from staff and recent bids): a new elementary school sized at roughly 80,000 square feet (comparable to Lakeview) could cost about $40 million including furnishings and architect fees at recent construction-price levels; demolition of the existing Dixon structure could be an additional $2'$4 million; utility costs while Dixon is under light use are currently about $100,000'$150,000 per year; East Bay Post High lease costs are about $150,000 per year.

Daley summarized retrofit estimates for Timpanogos that district staff have previously discussed as a range roughly between $11 million and $20 million depending on scope; the principal at Timpanogos had earlier noted a capital list of about $6 million of deferred projects (HVAC redesign among the largest items) that district staff said could be phased if the board delays an immediate full retrofit. Daley also noted the district building reserve is a little over $20 million and that a Municipal Building Authority (lease-revenue) bond is the likely bond vehicle if the board elects to place a bond on a future ballot.

Board members asked for additional financial scenarios and for staff to identify district assets that might be sold or repurposed to reduce taxpayer impact. Daley gave a bond example for scale: a $10 million bond structured over 20 years at recent rates would carry roughly $825,000 in annual debt service and translate to approximately $22 per year on a $500,000 home (illustrative figure provided by staff). Daley emphasized that the district is exploring combinations of funding sources (bond proceeds, building reserve, limited asset sales and phased retrofit budgeting) rather than relying solely on a single source.

Timing: Daley outlined a general schedule if the board decided to proceed with a new elementary build now: request for proposals for architects and construction managers, a design period (roughly six to nine months), formal bids and a construction period of about two and a half years, meaning a completed building could open in about 2029 if the board initiated the process immediately. Daley and board members discussed capacity constraints in the district's construction-management resources and recommended staff identify additional project-management support before committing to multiple overlapping large projects.

No formal vote was taken. The board asked staff to prepare a written set of financial options for the October agenda that would include: an inventory of district land and other assets that could be sold or repurposed; a menu of funding scenarios (varying bond sizes, use of building reserves, phased retrofit budgets); demolition cost estimates; and a clearer timeline for moving programs from Dixon to alternate sites while construction/retrofit work occurs.

Board members said community trust and clear communication about next steps are critical; several trustees urged staff to present transparent cost estimates, timing and the community impacts of each option before any decision to place a bond before voters.