Take a look inside Canyons School District’s $62M new school

As hundreds of adults and children toured the airy new Union Middle School in Sandy last week, a young student’s voice rose above the chatter.

“This school is too big,” she said. “I miss the old one.”

The original Union Middle School was 55 years old and deteriorating, one of many aging buildings located in the Canyons School District when it was created in 2009. Split off from the Jordan District, Canyons estimated that it had inherited $650 million in deferred maintenance on its buildings.

In Midvale, then-Mayor JoAnn Seghini had initially been reluctant, but she became a convert to the idea of Canyons, the state’s first new school district in nearly a century. And since 2010, Midvale Elementary and Midvale Middle have been rebuilt, along with other schools, including Midvalley Elementary, Peruvian Park and Hillcrest High.

A facilities assessment had shown the district’s maintenance needs were so great it was cheaper to rebuild many schools than to make repairs.

As the latest rebuild, the new Union Middle boasts 230,000 square feet, making it 35,000 square feet — just shy of an acre — larger than its predecessor. The adjacent former school was demolished this summer.

While the size of the new $62 million steel building might feel overwhelming to smaller children, for most, it’s a welcome change.

Designed by VCBO Architecture, Union Middle now features floor-to-ceiling windows and multiple skylights. It has four grade-specific academic wings, a 650-seat auditorium, and each classroom is wired to accommodate mobile technologies. The building also features 2D and 3D art suites.

The athletic space is equipped with two full courts and an elevated mezzanine running track. Separate locker rooms have been designed to accommodate all genders.

After a six-year wait, the school officially opened Sept. 5. Students spent their first two weeks of the fall semester in remote learning while construction was finalized.

To celebrate, Canyons School District officials hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday, followed by tours and a complimentary hot dog dinner.

Still to come is a completed kitchen, several music rooms and a media center. Athletic fields and a ninja warrior-style obstacle course will be finished next year.

A learning opportunity next door

Including Union Middle, Canyons has now either rebuilt or remodeled 23 schools.

The former middle school, built in 1968, had incurred serious seismic issues, meaning it would be unsafe in an earthquake. It also had outdated technology and needed heating and cooling upgrades to bring it up to code.

Construction began in 2018 and was meant to be completed sooner, but worker and supply shortages caused by the pandemic slowed progress. Students continued to attend classes in the old building.

And because the new school was built on the same property, students could watch its construction in real time — something Shawna Fillmore, a career and technical education teacher, incorporated into her lessons.

“I’ve been able to take my students on tours of the progress of the building,” Fillmore said. “The architect has shared plans with us. They’ve shared the 3D model.”

Fillmore used those opportunities to create hands-on experiences for her students. She also asked them to document the building’s progress over the past two years, creating a student-led archive.

A district rebuilding itself

The seeds for the new school, Canyons school board vice president Mont Millerberg said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, “were planted 17 years ago by those who had a vision to vote to create the Canyons School District.”

In 2010, voters in the new district approved a $250 million bond for facility upgrades, which was used to build two new schools and rebuild five other buildings.

The funds to build Union Middle were part of a $283 million bond passed in 2017.

However, a year later, a state audit revealed that the district may have broken the law by sending out mailers encouraging the public to vote for the bond.

While districts are allowed to use public funds to send out informational materials about bonds, they cannot be used to encourage political discussion. The audit found that the majority of the mailers crossed the line or were “questionable” in regards to the state’s code.

Since its enrollment high point of 34,400 students in 2018-19, Canyons District’s enrollment has declined by about 1,500 students. It currently sits at 32,891 students.

At Union Middle, enrollment has remained steady. Preliminary enrollment counts for this school year show 897 students, a slight increase from 862 in 2022-23. In Utah, annual enrollment counts are not made official until Oct. 1 each year.