School started with a flourish at all 11 Uintah School District facilities last Wednesday.

“We didn’t run into any problems,” said Superintendent Mark Dockins, who managed a walk-through of all 11 schools on the first day.

His tour included Eagle View Elementary near Fort Duchesne, which now utilizes a brand-new, $15 million facility at the site of the former Todd Elementary and West Junior High campus. “Eagle View is now one of our nicest schools,” Dockins said. “There’s a new level of pride there. The new building will help morale.”

He also stopped by Davis Elementary, where construction is under way on 10 new classrooms and a remodel at a cost of $7 million; and Ashley Elementary, where a $15.5 million, 85,000-square-foot school is being built adjacent to the existing 50-year-old facility.

“I had been concerned about construction issues affecting the first day of school, but all of it came off without a hitch,” Dockins said.

The district serves an estimated 6,400 students, the superintendent said. Across the district, he noticed a high level of enthusiasm that’s usually present during the first week of school.

“I think the teachers were excited to be starting a new school year,” Dockins added. “They are proud to make a difference in the lives of their students.”

Vernal Express staff visited several schools last week in an effort to capture sights common to the first days of school. We hope our readers enjoy the compilation of selected photographs published on this page.

—Andre Salvail, Editor