Ground broken for Liahona school

After more than a year of eager anticipation, Liahona Preparatory Academy officials broke ground for their new school on Saturday.

The school will be located in a new Trophy Homes development at approximately 2500 W. 450 South, near the border of Pleasant Grove and American Fork.

The academy, which is a private, LDS-oriented school, currently has 130 students, but the new school is expected to accommodate an additional 70 students.

Liahona Principal Kolleen DeGraff said she hopes the school will be completed by this fall.

Liahona Academy first encountered problems with building the new school early last year. In 2006, the school received two acres of donated land, but the land was in a designated sexually oriented business zone, according to city zoning laws.

To avoid building the school in the zone, Pleasant Grove Mayor Mike Daniels organized a land trade between Liahona Academy and the Mayfield development, which is owned by Trophy Homes.

The development's proximity to the American Fork border slowed the project's progression, but in October, Pleasant Grove approved the property for annexation into the city.

More information on the school can be found at www.liahonaeducation.com.