PARK CITY — The Park City School District is currently home to 330 students and the $14 million bond that failed in September would have meant a much-needed new school built in three to five years, according to the district.
And after four failed bonds in seven years, Superintendent Dan Grabowska isn’t sure where to go from here.
The school is considering more modular trailers, remodeling and updates to the current building.
“No matter what we try to do, it is going to cost money, and we will just try to be as responsible as we can on what we ask and when we ask for it,” Grabowska said Wednesday.
However, one thing is certain: the district no longer wants to become a Class B school next year as planned. A new gym is no longer in the cards after this failed bond - which the school needed to house Class B sports and other events - and the high school population is expected to drop below 100 students in a few years. To become a Class B, the high school student population must stay between 100 to 300 students.
“We’re hoping that MHSA will take a look at those numbers and see what happens,” Grabowska said.
Rebekah Reger is in her first year teaching middle school math in Park City and makes the commute every morning from Billings. She's been teaching for 15 years and has never experienced teaching in a modular building.
“We're very secluded, like I don’t see anyone….Some of the facility is starting to fall apart, there’s things that need to be repaired,” Reger said. “I can tell you right now from the student perspective, they are very disappointed.”
That means what was meant to be a short-term solution – the modular trailers – looks more like a long-term reality.
“I was aware that when I took the job that I was going to be here [in the modular], but the idea is that if I stay it wasn’t going to be permanent and at this point it looks like it’s going to be a permanent situation,” Reger said.
It’s a school just trying to get by with its growing pains and hoping to start getting more support.
“If the community could come together and really support students out here, this is our future, and they don’t feel like they’re getting supported,” said Reger.
