The Uintah School District is moving forward with a proposal to build a teen center at Uintah High School.
Representatives from VCBO Architecture presented Uintah School Board members with options for the proposed project during Wednesday night’s special business meeting.
As presented, the proposed teen center would occupy about 1,500 square feet of existing space inside Uintah High. The space was previously used by classes that are now being held in the Agricultural Sciences classroom building. The center would house a food pantry and have a washer and dryer and two bathrooms with private showers. There would also be semi-private study rooms, as well as areas for study groups and student meetings.
“As we envision it, the Uintah High Teen Center would support all UHS students in various aspects of their lives,” USD Support Services Director Mindy Merrell said. “This initiative underscores our commitment to the safety and well-being of our students.”
The teen center would be staffed by a full-time employee who is already working in another capacity at the high school. It would be open during the school's business hours. Uintah High students who are experiencing homelessness could use the center to launder their clothes and take a shower. They could also use the designated study spaces to work on school assignments. The food pantry would provide nutritious snacks and meals to any UHS student who may not have consistent access to food at home.
Nearly two dozen USD students are experiencing homelessness this school year, Merrell said. About 14 percent of Uintah County residents under the age of 18 are food insecure, according to the most recent data compiled by the Hunger Solutions Institute at Utah State University.
Merrell was part of a team of district and UHS administrators who recently toured two teen centers designed by VCBO for the Davis School District. Following those tours, USD and Uintah High administrators began discussing ways to bolster the services that might be provided by a teen center, Merrell said, including the possibility of working with state agencies and local businesses to help students develop critical skills for entering the workforce.
“I could easily see us partnering with Vocational Rehab or the Department of Workforce Services,” she said. “What kid in our community couldn’t benefit from learning how to interview for a job or dress for an interview? We want all our kids, not just those who may be struggling, to benefit from the teen center at Uintah High.”
Based on early estimates, the district plans to budget about $336,000 for the project. The district has already received $250,000 in grant money for the teen center from the state of Utah. It has also received a grant for $40,000 in matching funds from The Policy Project, a Utah-based nonprofit, non-partisan organization. VCBO Architecture has agreed to waive a portion of its fees for the project as well. The balance of the project would be paid for with money the district already has in its savings for capital projects.
The Uintah High Teen Center was preliminarily approved Wednesday night as one of the district's capital projects for the upcoming fiscal year. Formal approval of the project will take place when the board adopts the FY25 budget in June.