Park City High School

History

Park City High School was originally located at 1255 Park Avenue in Park City, Utah. It was constructed in February 1928 at a cost of $200,000 (about $2.5 million today) and was a modified Collegiate Gothic style brick building with three levels. The building was abandoned in 1981, when a new high school was constructed on Kearns Boulevard, about a mile away. The old building has since been restored and is now used as the Park City Library and the Jim Santy auditorium, which hosts the annual Sundance Film Festival and the Park City Film Series. The Kearns Boulevard building was a modern-style brick building until 2008, when the building underwent a significant renovation designed by the Salt Lake City based architectural firm VCBO. The current high school stands on a site of 35 acres and consists of three levels.

Recognition

Park City High School is recognized for its achievement in academics. It is the current holder of the Utah State AP Award, making it the number one high school in the state on the basis of student involvement in Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Over 23 AP classes are offered at Park City High School. It is ranked the number one high school in the state of Utah by KSL Schools, a division of the Bonneville International corporation. In 2011, Park City High School was named one of the best 200 high schools in the United States by The Daily Beast, a website published by Newsweek magazine, placing it in the top .008% of all high schools in the country.

Electronic integration

In 2012, Park City High School adopted a one-to-one personal computer program wherein each student receives a laptop. Teachers and students use a common learning management system called Canvas for information and assignments. Canvas is provided by Instructure, a Utah-based software company. Each student's personal computer has school-wide internet access. The current model issued to students is the 11-inch Apple Macbook Air. Students are allowed to take their laptops home, but are limited to websites and applications pre-approved by the administration.

Building

Park City High School is a multi-level contemporary style complex. Since its renovation in 2008, the school has over 260,000 square feet of total floor area. The primary areas that underwent renovation were those on the front facade of the building facing Kearns Boulevard, which included the school lunchroom, the main classroom wings, and the administrative offices. The reconstruction resulted in improvements such as a more spacious floor plan and updated building specifications. Updates to the building included redesigned classrooms with large glass windows and integrated multimedia systems, as well as a redesigned lunchroom area, which features five new food outlets, a school store, and a casual eating and socializing area for students. Other general updates to the building include new materials and finishes like glass, tile, stone, metal, and carpets. The combination of these materials, according to VCBO, "results in the entire complex appearing as one cohesive facility." The building now has a Silver Rating by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards. It has won four awards for its design, including the 2010 Outstanding Project Award for Green School Building Design by Leading By Design.

Notable alumni

Notable show appearances