Granite School District reviews construction progress, security upgrades and a pilot PV-plus-battery project at Magna Elementary

At the Granite School District Board of Education meeting on Jan. 7, district facilities staff provided a construction and facilities update that included timelines for security upgrades, roofing and flooring projects, and a photovoltaic-plus-battery pilot at Magna Elementary.

The district’s facilities presenter said Valleycrest Elementary’s security upgrades are scheduled to begin Feb. 1, and that West Kearns Elementary will receive similar work “very quick[ly]” — estimated at about four to six weeks including tuning and programming — once materials arrive. The presenter said crews will try to work around administrators so classrooms remain in use during much of the work.

The update covered ongoing and upcoming projects across the district: phased re‑flooring and asbestos abatement at Cottonwood High School; roofing work at Churchill planned for spring and summer; a multipurpose partition door project at Silver Hill; unresolved bleacher issues at Hunter High; and maintenance and fueling‑station work to meet new state requirements at maintenance and transportation facilities. Staff reported no change orders to bring before the board for the projects discussed.

District staff also described progress on larger campus projects. Cypress campus construction is advancing into final finish work, with concrete, tile and wood paneling underway and some classroom pods being finished early to allow furniture installation and reduce scheduling conflicts for the summer relocation. The presenter said the construction team expects the building to be punched and substantially complete by the beginning of June, with some site work continuing into June.

At Skyline and related academic wings, staff said tilt panels and steel framing are largely complete and that mild winter weather has allowed continued exterior work. At Westlake High School, the new auditorium opened for a school event this winter and has only punch‑list items remaining, staff said.

On a technology and energy note, the district reported receiving a Blue Sky grant from Rocky Mountain Power to add photovoltaic (PV) panels and a battery storage system at Magna Elementary. The presenter said the battery storage is intended to reduce the school’s peak draw on the utility system, and that interior cosmetic and exterior refresh work tied to a planned STEM rebranding will be phased to minimize disruption to classes.

Board members asked for more detail about schedules and whether students would be displaced during the work; staff emphasized that most disruptive work is planned for summer break and that some “behind the scenes” upgrades (for example, carbon monoxide detection and fire alarm system upgrades) will be scheduled before the end of the school year.

Several board members and staff emphasized coordination required for the summer moves, noting that the district expects a busy summer relocating students and equipment among Brockbank, Cypress and other campuses. The presenter said crews have repainted offices, replaced office lighting, adjusted HVAC fan speeds to manufacturer specifications, and completed other fine tuning over winter breaks to improve learning environments.

The presentation concluded with staff saying they will circulate additional visual materials and photos to board members digitally so trustees can review schedules and images more easily.