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OGDEN — Students at one Weber County high school will start their school year two weeks late.
That's because of delays in the construction of West Field High School.
While Weber School District officials are confident that the school will be ready for students on Sept. 3, they are hopeful they won't have to move to their backup plan — virtual learning.
Parent Kelsie Orrick said her son and daughter are excited to start the school year at the new high school, despite what they see as a minor inconvenience.
"I'm excited for it," Orrick said. "I hope the community comes together and it's a big community supported school."
The project has seen several delays over the past two-and-a-half years.
"I drive by the school all the time, seeing what the progress is," Orrick said. "But as I was watching it, I wasn't very hopeful, the whole time it was being built."
The delays have included a drainage issue that required buying another neighboring piece of land and rising construction costs.
"There's a lot that goes into being able to open up a brand new school," said Lane Findlay, district spokesperson.
Findlay also added that faculty and staff should be able to move into the school next week, with enough of the school being available for classes to start on Sept. 3.
"Yeah, it's all hands on deck," he said.
Findlay said if delays push the school year back further, the district is prepared to have a virtual start. But Findlay also said that is something the district would like to avoid.
"We've got a little bit of a window here," Findlay said. "If we delay the start that we can extend the school day a few minutes each day throughout the school year."
The district said 1,200 to 1,300 students will attend the new school, which is providing relief for neighboring Roy and Fremont high schools.
Additionally, the district has two other new schools on the west side of Weber County that are in the final stages of construction. Mountain View Junior High School is on schedule to open on time. Haven Bay Elementary School could potentially open on Sept. 3. However, the district will have a better idea after a key inspection later this week.
