After the noise of drilling, cutting and hammering filled the air around the building the past several months, a more familiar set of sounds took over the hallways of the Dowagiac Union High School Tuesday.

The clanging of lockers opening and closing. The clopping of shoes marching about. The chatter of students reuniting with their friends after weeks of separation.

The district’s kindergarten through 12th grade students returned to their studies for the beginning of the fall semester Tuesday morning. New faces, classes and challenges awaited the children and teenagers — in particular those attending Union High, where the first batch of renovations funded through the $37 million bond issue, passed by voters in 2015, were recently finished.

Students noticed the changes from the moment they pulled up to the school’s new, expanded parking lots. Inside, the students were greeted by new interior lighting atop the hallways, as well as new windows along the east wing of the building, which allow more natural light to pour through.

The largest changes, however, awaited students taking courses in one of the 10 classrooms renovated during the first phase of construction. The spaces contain new desks and chairs, focused on mobility, as well as new whiteboards and a massive touchscreen display that instructors may use for presentations and for hands-on learning.

“Everyone is excited — teachers and students both,” said Superintendent Paul Hartsig. “Now that they have gotten a taste of the new improvements, they are anxious to see the entire project completed.”

Construction on other classrooms will continue throughout the rest of the school year. Work on the second batch of classrooms as well as two new learning lab spaces is expected to finish by the middle of October, and most of the work on the east end of the building should be completed by January.

Other improvements lined up include an overhaul of the school’s media center, cafeteria and front office area, as well as construction of a new secure entry vestibule, similar to the one in place at Dowagiac Middle School. Crews are also currently building a new competition gym on the school’s west side, which should be open late next year.

Students and teachers will have to relocate to new classrooms throughout the year, though administrators will give those affected plenty of notice in advance to ensure a smooth transition, said High School Principal Kelly Millin.

“They [the students] understand the end goal and are willing to make some adjustments to make sure it happens,” Millin said.

The list of physical improvements to Union High is only matched by the number of changes the district has introduced to enhance the curriculum taking place inside.

Starting Tuesday, students at the high and middle schools switched over to a seven-period day. While students are in school the same number of hours as before, administrators have shortened class periods to allow sixth through 12th graders to take an additional course every day, which will allow them to more easily fulfill their prerequisites while giving them enough time to take additional elective courses.

Meanwhile, the high school’s early college program, which allows students to receive an associate’s degree from Southwestern Michigan College at the same time they graduate from Union High, is still going strong, with more than 30 students presently enrolled, Hartsig said. Around 30 students are also participating in the school’s new work-study program, an initiative launched this semester that allows students to spend part of their day working at a job.

However, the main focus of administrators this year remains on following through with the remaining school bond projects.

Preliminary designs for the improvements to Sister Lakes and Kincheloe elementary schools are around half completed, Hartsig said. Before the end of the spring semester several months ago, administrators gathered feedback from the schools’ principals, teachers and staff, which help guide architects designing the plans.

“We are going to take all that information and put it together into a plan that works for our students and staff,” Hartsig said.

The superintendent hopes to have the plans for all four elementary buildings, as well as the second round of improvements to Chris Taylor Alumni Field, out for bid later this year. Construction on all buildings should start in spring.