About 131 students with disabilities will start classes at two brand-new schools Wednesday, Aug. 19, when Silver Peak School and the Timpanogos Transition and Education Center open on the former Sharon Elementary campus in Alpine.

The schools share a campus but serve different populations.

Silver Peak is a K-12 special education school launching with roughly 41 students in four classrooms. Most are transferring from Dan Peterson School and live within the future Timpanogos School District boundaries. The school will provide the same therapies families are accustomed to, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech, vision, hearing, and orientation and mobility services, according to Alpine School District.

"We will be providing all the same services, all the same as within their IEPs," Silver Peak principal Dan Heaps said.

The campus also features a sensory room, a full-size gym and stage, and a new adaptive playground built to support students' motor, sensory and social needs. A fifth classroom can be added as enrollment grows.

TTEC, on the other side of the shared campus, will serve about 90 adult students ages 18-22 with five classroom teachers. The program focuses on preparing students for employment and independent living through public transportation training, community job sites and workplace placement. An apartment-style space lets students practice daily living skills on site.

TTEC principal Melanie Adams said the school drew teachers and staff from both Dan Peterson and the former Alpine Transition and Education Center, so many students will see familiar faces on day one. Adams said she is excited to start new traditions, including a "founding fox wall," while carrying forward what made ATEC successful.

Both schools will continue offering occupational therapy, physical therapy, vision, hearing and speech services. Renovations to the Sharon Elementary building included separate offices for each school, accessible bathrooms and changing areas, refreshed classrooms and the apartment-style independent-living space for TTEC.

Families toured the campus and met administrators at a ribbon-cutting event Monday, Aug. 17, two days before the first day of school.

The openings are part of Alpine School District's preparation for its split into three new districts: Aspen Peaks, Lake Mountain and Timpanogos. That transition takes effect July 1, 2027. By launching Silver Peak and TTEC a year early, the district said, students and staff can settle in while ASD still provides oversight and support. As we reported Aug. 11, ASD trained staff in crisis de-escalation techniques ahead of the districtwide Aug. 19 start date.

The Timpanogos School Board approved the Sharon Elementary renovation in March 2026, according to district planning documents. The board has acknowledged the site is a near-term solution, not a permanent facility. No date has been announced for the board's next discussion of long-term plans for these programs.