Ivy Hall Academy -- History

A Brief History of Ivy Hall
Ivy Hall was founded by James Lindahl in 1988. He had moved to Provo, Utah from Orange County, California. His oldest son was entering junior high and Jim decided that the local public school would not be a viable choice. A friend of Mr. Lindahl's, Alan Osmond, had similar feelings about his sons, so they collaborated and decided to start a junior high class having 12 students. Teachers were hired and school commenced in September of 1988. It was called The Ridge primarily because class was held in a couple of rooms of the Sherwood Hills Racquetball Club - located on a ridge above Provo, Utah.
Our old building	In 1991, there began to develop a parental interest in expanding The Ridge to include pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. A number of question and answer meetings were held at Mr. Lindahl's home, Mrs. Susan Kirby developed and outlined the school curriculum, and by mid-summer a school was born!

More space was leased in the athletic club building and Mr. Lindahl oversaw the forming of classrooms for use in the Fall. The expanded school opened in the Fall of 1991 with pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. The name of the school was changed to Ivy Hall Academy. Club facilities were used and enjoyed by the school: racquetball courts, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, outdoor swimming pool, gym, and track. In January of 1992, Mrs. Susan Kirby, who was teaching fifth grade at the time, became director of the school. Mr. Lindahl and several partners later purchased the building. In 1995, the school became a non-profit, 501C3 corporation, and a Board of Trustees was formed.

The old assembly room, with classroom doors

The old cafeteria

Mrs. Kirby and Mr. Lindahl worked together in the school for eight years. Then in 1997, Mr. Lindahl's youngest child graduated from Ivy Hall and he decided to pursue other endeavors. He and his partners sold the building to a construction company which planned to raze the building and erect condominiums on the site.

It took a year for the zoning change and project approval to be granted. During that time, the school remained in the building while Mrs. Kirby and the Board of Trustees looked for a new location. In May of that year, an ideal building was found.

The old playground

Mrs. Susan Kirby, our director

The building had been sitting as an empty shell for two years. Having just four outer walls and a roof allowed an interior design suitable for a school. Building began immediately and the playground equipment from the old building was moved and installed during the summer. School opened in this new location on September 1, 1999. Playground sod was laid about a week later and a little by little the finishing touches were completed. At Christmas, the new green fence was installed - and it seemed to enhance the season!

This location has proven to be a great spot: 1598 West 820 North, Provo.

Our new building

The Board of Trustees has oversight responsibilites for the school. Currently the board members are:

	Jared M. Spataro, Chairman Susan J. Kirby Kimberly Spataro Mark Atkinson G. Michael Finnigan
In an industry where turnover and instability are common, we are delighted to have made steady improvement in our program offerings. It has allowed us to make a contribution to the education of thousands of students.