‘Welcome to Shoreline’: Provo City School District holds open house for new west side middle school (2024)

As summer begins to wind down for school-aged students, hundreds of kids and their parents got a first glimpse of Provo’s newest middle school.

After much anticipation, the Provo City School District welcomed the public to tour the facility of Shoreline Middle Schoolon Monday evening.

The school board voted in 2021 to spend around $70 million to build the new campus on 21 acres at 1201 West and 890 South near Footprinter Park.

Construction began in late 2022.

“Shoreline Middle School is more than just a school. It is a place where dreams are nurtured, talents are developed and lifelong friendships are formed,” principal Tommy Hirschi said to the crowd of attendees before a ribbon-cutting.

Shoreline replaces Dixon Middle School, which closed at the end of last school year. Just over 800 Dixon students will transition to to the new facility when the 2024-25 year begins.

“Together, we will make Shoreline Middle School a beacon of excellence in education continuing the proud legacy of Dixon Middle School for many years to come,” Hirschi stated.

Provo City School District Superintendent Wendy Dau thanked the community for their patience amid the construction. Expressing her excitement for the opportunity for students to learn in a new space, she offered a quote from Walt Disney: “We keep moving forward, opening new doors and doing new things because we’re curious, and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”

Provo City Board of Education President Rebecca Nielsen also shared words of encouragement for the incoming Shoreline student body. “May the sun of knowledge shine brightly upon each student, and may every new discovery be a joyful revelation,” she said.

The project, headed up by Westland Construction, worked to bring the school district’s vision of a state-of-the-art facility to life. “From the performing arts spaces to the subject-specific classrooms are a testament to your hard work and dedication,” Hirschi noted.

For students on Provo’s west side, district officials say it means a modernized school campus, making for a safer educational experience. “It’s built with modern codes, specifically seismic codes, and so the school’s just overall safer,” Caleb Price, the district’s director of communications, told the Daily Herald.

The 93-year-old Dixon facility was in need of significant repairs to bring it up to modern standards. Concerns of asbestos, plumbing and more would have made renovating it a costly endeavor.

However, transitioning students from the aging school campus didn’t come without opposition.

Community members advocated to keep the school on Dixon’s property. Many also worried about the fate of the nearly century-old building if the school were to be moved. School district officials listened to concerns, comments and feedback as they decided the best way to proceed.

“We’re excited that we’re able to provide our students with this new school. Also the school board, (and) the district, are committed to working with the community to determine what’s going to happen (with) the future of the district Dixon site,” Price said.

For now, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Utah County is utilizing a section of the Dixon building while its new clubhouse is being built.

As for Shoreline, back to school night is set for Aug. 12., from 4-6 p.m. The first day of school is Aug. 13.

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