PROVO PICKS FIRM TO HANDLE INDEPENDENCE HIGH BOND

The Provo School Board selected a finance company Thursday to handle a $3.4 million bond for an alternative high school.

Beginning with the finance plan, the school district is squeezing a lot of preconstruction details into a short time period.The district will work through Smith Capital Markets, a division of Zion's Bank, to build the new Independence High School. The district, however, does not yet own property near Paul Ream Wilderness Park on which it intends to build. It does hold an option and agreed to pay the owner, Marilyn O. Chapman, $150,000 for the 9.5 acres.

There's a question as to whether the property is a wetland area. Superintendent Kay Laursen said that question should be answered by April 10, the same day the district plans to buy the land and solicit construction bids.

Laursen said the board is set to choose a contractor and break ground on the same day, May 8. The anticipated move-in date is Dec. 18. Independence High's lease in its current building expires Dec. 31.