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Davis City board reviews major proposal for new competition gym, locker rooms and expanded career-education space
Summary
District staff told the board the current gym is cramped and out of compliance with modern sidelines and ADA guidance and outlined a plan for an additional competition gym, expanded locker rooms, updated vocational (FCS) labs and improved scheduling and safety for students and community use.
District staff gave board members a detailed facilities assessment and a preliminary plan on the benefits of adding a new competition gym and upgrading related spaces, saying the existing main gym is cramped, limits programming and raises safety and ADA concerns.
"We have 306 kids in this building," said Mr. Olubro, the presenter, and later added that the main gym "meets the minimum standards for court size" but falls short of recommended sidelines, noting the current distance between floor and bleachers is about 3–4 feet where modern guidance suggests 6–10 feet. He said that layout forces staff to pause games to allow people with mobility needs to cross the court and makes emergency egress and ADA accommodations difficult.
The presentation listed operational impacts the board would weigh: lost instructional time when the gym is used for events; frequent schedule conflicts for practice, tournaments and play production; limited locker-room capacity (staff cited an 8-by-10, or about 80-square-foot, changing space for some teams); constrained storage and officials' spaces; and the district's inability to host larger tournaments or run simultaneous JV/varsity events. Mr. Olubro described how the district must sometimes displace teams to other sites or put teams in classrooms to change because of space shortages.
Administrators also outlined education and community benefits of an expanded facility: additional capacity for P.E. classes and after-school youth programs, a larger FCS (Family and Consumer Sciences) lab to serve more students and host hospitality during events, and dedicated practice and event spaces that could reduce late-night practices and supervision burdens. The FCS teacher said the current lab supports about 12 workstations and restricts enrollment in culinary and related courses; expanded facilities would allow more hands-on instruction and event-hosting capacity.
Board members and staff discussed next steps for public engagement. The administration recommended an initial public community meeting with a short presentation and Q&A, combined with an opportunity for attendees to tour current spaces; the board discussed scheduling a community engagement session before or alongside a regular meeting in spring. Staff proposed posting the full facilities packet online and following up with additional community sessions before any decision on a bond or funding plan.
No formal bond or funding measure was proposed or voted on at the meeting. The board was presented with the operational rationale, safety concerns and community-use arguments for further study and outreach; staff will provide additional material and timeline options for a future board discussion.
