Principal picked for new Saratoga Springs high school

AMERICAN FORK — Fred Openshaw will be the principal of Alpine School District's new high school, which is being built in Saratoga Springs.

Openshaw, 43, is the principal of Willowcreek Middle School in Lehi.

"I'm excited. I couldn't ask for a better opportunity," Openshaw said in a phone interview with the Deseret Morning News this morning.

The district broke ground on the new high school last May. It is expected to open fall 2009.

District officials also announced several other school-administrator appointments:

• Theron Murphy will lead Timpanogos High School. He is principal at American Fork Junior High;

• Michael Browning will be principal of Willowcreek Middle School. He is assistant principal at Timpanogos High School;

• Shane Farnsworth will lead American Fork Junior High School. He is assistant principal at Timberline Middle School;

• David Mower will be principal of Canyon View Junior High. He is principal of Lone Peak High School;

• Sylvia Allan will be principal of Vineyard Elementary School. She is a teacher on administrative assignment at Rocky Mountain Elementary School;

• Bruce Gardner will be principal of Valley View Elementary School. He is assistant principal at Pleasant Grove High School.

• Peggy Crandall will be principal of Shelley Elementary School. She is the district's gifted services coordinator;

• Sam Rencher will be principal of Forbes Elementary School. He is a clinical facility associate at Brigham Young University.

The district announced in January that Tom Tillman will lead the new elementary school in Eagle Mountain.He is the principal of Vineyard Elementary School. Construction of the elementary school began in October. The building should be ready this fall.

Many people who live in the area of the two new schools are anxious to see the buildings completed.

Parent Troy Jones, 43, of Saratoga Springs, addressed the Alpine school board, with an overall question of "what's up" with the new high school, during its public input session Tuesday night at Saratoga Shores Elementary School, 1415 S. Parkside Drive, Saratoga Springs.

Jones has four children who would eventually go to the new high school.

Answering Jones, Alpine district superintendent Vernon Henshaw said the high school is "on schedule and moving along."

The district will soon begin ordering materials, and forming committees to name the school, as well as to choose the colors and mascot, Henshaw said.

"We've gone through this several times before in our district," he said."It's pretty well laid out."

Sam Jarman, Alpine district administrator over high schools, said the new high school will start with 1,000 students. Students who will be seniors will have the option to stay and graduate at Lehi High School since they started at that school.

The high school boundaries will follow the Jordan River. Students living east of the river will attend Lehi High School while those residing west will go to the new high school. Boundary maps are on the district's Web site, www.alpine.k12.ut.us

Board members drove past the new high school on their way to their meeting Tuesday. Board member Donna Barnes said it was exciting to see the progress. "It will be a beautiful school," she said.

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E-mail: astewart@desnews.com