Hundreds witnessed history on Thursday, Aug. 18, 2016  as the doors to a brand new Butler Elementary opened and generations of students and former students, teachers, parents, and local dignitaries walked into the halls of the state-of-the-art building.

They passed under a replica of the school’s original bell, which hearkens back to Butler’s beginnings in 1877, and passed an originally curated bronze statue of a bobcat, which local residents purchased with donated money to represent the school’s 139-year history, as school leaders and students explored the spaces in which they plan to create their own history.

“We have come so far from the one-room school house that was built in Butlerville so many years ago,” Butler Elementary Principal Christy Waddell told a crowd gathered Thursday night to celebrate a ribbon cutting ceremony in honor of the building’s completion. “Can you imagine what the early settlers of this area would say if they saw our new school?”

The school, which was made possible by a $250 million voter-approved bond in 2010, features nearly 30 classrooms with lighting controls, audio-visual equipment and wiring for high-tech needs; large windows with stunning views of the surrounding mountains; a commons area, gymnasium and recreation room; and a lot of natural light in the classrooms and hallways.

Unique features, such as textured walls and original artwork throughout the school, were highlighted by VCBO Architecture – which designed the school – and completed by Hogan and Associates Construction.

Canyons District leaders, including Canyons Board of Education President Sherril Taylor and members Amber Shill and Nancy Tingey, as well as CSD Superintendent Jim Briscoe, Cottonwood Heights Mayor Kelvin Cullimore and City Council members Mike Shelton, Mike Peterson and Tee Tyler attended the ceremony with hundreds of parents and students from the community who searched for their assigned classrooms.

The school will be open for the beginning of the 2016-2017 academic year, which begins Wednesday, Aug. 24.

“I have no doubt that many of you wondered if the school would be ready on time for the first day of school,” Shill, who represents the area, told the crowd. “Today would not be possible without your support. Thank you so much for your patience while we worked on your new school.”

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