BYU is buying Provo High—$25 million for 25 acres. As per the sale agreement, the property will first be leased back to Provo High School (PHS) at no charge for 30 months while a new high school is constructed. The university has yet to announce how it will use the property after that.
“BYU is pleased to be able to purchase the Provo High School property,” university spokesperson Carri Jenkins (BA ’83, MA ’90) wrote in the university’s statement.
The purchase itself is still pending, as BYU does its due diligence, conducting various studies. According to the Provo City School District, if all goes well, the deal is projected to close in June or July.
The district’s Board of Education announced in December 2015 that it would sell the property and build anew. “Several interested and qualified buyers expressed interest in the PHS property over the last several months,” Provo School Board president Julie K. Rash (BA’93) said in a statement. “We are confident that we have reached the best arrangement for the students of Provo High and the community.”
The district broke ground on the new Provo High last week at 1300 Lakeshore Drive, on the west side of I-15, by Utah Lake. The option to lease the old high school for free while the new one takes shape is a “remarkable arrangement,” said Rash.
“Through these many decades, Provo High School has been a good neighbor to BYU,” said BYU President Kevin J Worthen (BA ’79, JD ’82). “We wish the students, faculty, and administration well as they carry on the traditions and achievements of Provo High in its new location.”
