Uintah School District pre-approves plan for Uintah High teen center
VERNAL, Utah (ABC4) — A new teen center is coming to Uintah High School to provide resources to students experiencing homelessness and need a safe place to work on assignments, shower and launder clothes.
The center would house a food pantry, a washer and dryer and two bathrooms with private showers. It would also include semi-private study rooms and areas for study groups and student meetings.
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“As we envision it, the Uintah High Teen Center would support all UHS students in various aspects of their lives,” said Uintah School District Support Services Director Mindy Merrell. “This initiative underscores our commitment to the safety and well-being of our students.”
The new teen center will be retrofitted into a 1,500-square-foot space that was previously being used by classes that are now held in the Agricultural Sciences building. It will be open during the school’s business hours and staffed by a full-time employee who is already working at the high school.
According to Merrell, nearly two dozen students in the district are experiencing homelessness this school year. About 14% of Uintah County residents under 18 are also food insecure, according to data collected by the Hunger Solutions Institute at Utah State University.
Merrell and a team of district and UHS administrators did a tour of teen centers in the Davis School District. Following those tours, USD officials began talks of providing resources for students in the Uintah School District.
“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.”
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The district has reportedly planned to budget about $336,000 for the project, on top of the $250,00 it has already received from the State of Utah. The Policy Project, a Utah-based nonprofit, has also provided the district with a $40,000 grant and VCBO Architecture, the company working on the project, has agreed to waive a portion of its usual fees. The remaining balance of the project will be paid for with money the district already has in its savings for projects such as the teen center.
The project was preliminarily approved with final approval of the project planned to come in June when the board adopts next year’s budget. Uintah School District did not provide a timeline for when work on the teen center would begin or an estimated date for completion.
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