How did the community decide on a historic restoration instead of a new building?



The school district, after several public forums, determined that we had to restore Ogden High School. There was no option of tearing it down or doing another school because the community spoke out loud and clear that it had to be done.

How did the community fund the project?

So in order to do it the district did a bond for the entire community, but realizing that historic preservation is much more costly than a new school, they came to the Ogden School Foundation, which is the fundraising arm of the district, and said, "We’re really not in the business of historic preservation, we’re hoping that you can help us make up some of that difference." At that point we could build a new high school for somewhere around $55 million, and to do this restoration as we wanted to do it was somewhere around $70 million. And so they said, "Can you help us come up with some of that difference?'" And we were able to reach that goal.

Just how passionate is the community about this school?

How do I say this and make it strong enough? We would have had community members chain themselves to the doors if something would have happened to their beloved school. It just has such a rich history and tradition. It was built in ‘38 and you have all of these alumni who, if they didn't realize it at the time that they were attending school, they certainly realized it after, what just a beautiful icon, what a treasure it is in our community. We knew the bond wouldn't pass if we did anything but restore that school, and restore it well.