Classes start Tuesday in Coupeville and older students will notice some changes when the new school year begins.
Everybody will have to accommodate the construction of a new building next to the current high school.
Workers were busy this week cleaning up debris to make sure the grounds and parking lots are ready for students.
“We’re just making sure our high school is ready,†said Superintendent Bill Myhr.
Room 104, which used to be a library years ago, was demolished to provide easier access to the construction site. To make up for the lost space, a locker bay was converted into a classroom.
Myhr said the high school construction project is ahead of schedule and he should learn the cost of the auxiliary gym this month. He hopes both the gym and high school projects will be finished in time for the 2007-2008 school year. Once the second gym is built, the current high school building will be demolished.
Students and parents will notice several changes with school district parking lots.
The back part of the gym parking lot is fenced off to provide a storage area for construction materials. However, there should be enough parking to meet the high school’s needs, Myhr said.
The park and ride lot at the elementary school is gone and the area is available solely for school purposes. Workers finished re-orienting the parking lot which should make it safer for parents.
“It’s a much safer parking lot for picking up and dropping off students,†Myhr said.
Students will also see some new faces working in buildings. The school district hired 13 teachers and seven classified staff this year. Myhr said this summer saw the highest turnover in school history.
Several employees retired, while others quit because of illness or to take jobs elsewhere, Myhr said. The school district also added one new position for a new math teacher.
School in Coupeville starts Tuesday, Sept. 5. Elementary school classes begin at 9 a.m. and high school classes start at 8 a.m.
Classes in the Oak Harbor School District start Thursday, Sept. 7.
