Provo board hears plea to move Timpanogos Elementary to Dixon site over safety, space concerns

Provo City School Board members heard a detailed plea on Sept. 9 from Timpanogos Elementary Principal Nicole Wolfe to relocate the school to the district-owned Dixon site because of safety risks, insufficient instructional space and building deterioration. Wolfe told the board that students at Timpanogos regularly face unsafe drop-off conditions and run toward a busy 35–40 mph street; she said staff have twice recently intercepted children before they reached traffic. "If there's any way that we could get off that street, I strongly recommend that we make that change," Wolfe said, adding, "that's my plea to the board." The principal outlined facility deficits she described as urgent: a $5.8 million to $6.5 million list of deferred repairs, a cramped parking/dismissal area that forces children close to traffic, portables with leaks and poor ventilation, narrow hallways and few intervention or testing rooms. She said the site lacks required accessibility in places and that kindergarten and other rooms are too small for the district’s current needs. Board members and senior staff framed the Dixon conversation as one of three district options the board has been studying: convert Dixon to a career-and-technical education (CTE) or adult-education hub; move Timpanogos to Dixon and build a new elementary; or create a district-level dual-language immersion (DLI) site. Juan and district staff summarized a community survey with 637 responses, roughly half favoring the CTE option and many Dixon-area respondents expressing neighborhood interest in preserving green space. Members stressed trade-offs. Several board members said the Dixon relocation could free time to plan a district-wide use for the current Timpanogos property, including potential sale or repurposing. Others flagged the neighborhood value of local elementary schools and warned about the educational and logistical effects of splitting grades across sites or creating a DLI magnet. Board member comments noted that moving the elementary would require a new build and add cost, while retaining Timpanogos would require significant retrofits. Superintendent and finance staff told the board that an exact price depends on design and market conditions; staff said an architect and a hard bid would be needed to give accurate numbers but estimated any new elementary rebuild could require bond funding. Business Administrator Kevin Daley and other staff noted bonds and tax-rate effects would be part of the decision and that the board should see comparative cost scenarios. The board did not vote. Members asked staff to provide additional analyses — comparative cost estimates for new construction versus retrofits, implications for boundary changes, transportation impacts, and possible uses for Dixon if Timpanogos moves — and to return with details at the board’s all‑day meeting and a future decision point. Directors also discussed timeline constraints such as the Boys & Girls Club lease at Dixon through June 2026. The discussion aggregated comments from parents, principals and community respondents collected during last year’s outreach and the district’s survey; several board members said they wanted more detailed cost estimates and research on educational outcomes before making a final move. Next steps noted in the meeting: staff will develop cost estimates for a new elementary at Dixon and for retrofitting the existing Timpanogos building, return with transportation and boundary analyses, and resume the discussion at the board’s all‑day workshop in mid‑September.