Orting to trench utilities for new high school portables, shift elementary start times and move Orting Elementary into Lehi wing
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Summary
District staff told the board they will trench communications and alarms to new portables, move Orting Elementary into six classrooms in the Lehi Wing, and push elementary start and dismissal times back by 10 minutes to address routing and congestion.
District facilities staff updated the board Wednesday about summer work to prepare for additional portables at the high school and a short bus-routing change for fall.
Staff said crews are trenching roughly 18 inches to install technology and communications for new portables in the high school parking lot and will trench to the West Wing so alarm systems can be connected. The work is scheduled to continue through the summer with a target to have systems operational before school starts in August.
The district also plans to relocate Orting Elementary into the Lehi Wing in a shared arrangement: elementary will occupy six classrooms there and the high school will retain two classrooms; a wall will separate elementary from high school spaces. Staff said the change will temporarily limit growth space at the high school once the move is complete.
To help address bus routing and increased traffic congestion, the district will push back elementary start times and dismissal times by 10 minutes starting in the fall. Staff said the small time shift is intended to ensure routes can be completed reliably amid increased neighborhood distances and traffic.
The board was also told the shared restroom configuration will keep two restrooms accessible to the high school near the portables; staff said the arrangement will continue "for the foreseeable future" as the district monitors enrollment and growth.
Why it matters: The physical changes and timing adjustments are operational steps that affect families' morning and afternoon schedules, building use and the high school's near-term capacity. The portable infrastructure work is needed to bring the temporary classrooms online with alarms and network connections.
What to watch for next: Technical completion of trenching and alarm/network hookups over the summer, final summer schedules for construction access, and any parent communications rolling out about the 10-minute start/dismissal time shift.