DOWAGIAC — After spending nearly a year focusing on the series of $16 million worth of improvements to Dowagiac Union High School, district leaders are now setting their sights on enhancing the four elementary buildings.

The Dowagiac Union Schools Board of Education approved $5.1 million worth of contracts for renovations and improvements to Sister Lakes and Kincheloe elementary schools during its meeting Monday at Dowagiac Middle School. The construction work will focus primarily on infrastructural upgrades for the pair of buildings, including the building of a secure entry vestibule, and installation of new heating and cooling systems.

The board awarded the following contracts Monday:

• (Sister Lakes) General Trades, Gibson-Lewis, $770,000

• (Sister Lakes) Aluminum Doors and Windows, Forman Glass, $145,900 • (Sister Lakes) Drywall, Ceilings and EIFS, Gibson-Lewis, $128,677

• (Sister Lakes) Flooring, Interior Finishes, $180,850 • (Sister Lakes) Mechanical, A-1 Refrigeration, $867,000 • (Sister Lakes) Electrical, IBID County Electric, $668,650 • (Sister Lakes) Communications, Herman & Goetz, $115,150 • (Kincheloe) General Trades, Gibson-Lewis, $780,000 • (Kincheloe) Aluminum Doors and Windows, Forman Glass, $159,500 • (Kincheloe) Drywall, Ceilings & EIFS, Gibson-Lewis, $161,481 • (Kincheloe) Flooring, Interior Finishes, $193,895 • (Kincheloe) Mechanical, A-1 Refrigeration, $845,000 • (Kincheloe) Electrical, IBID County Electric/Combo, $668,650 • (Kincheloe) Communications, Herman & Goetz, $111,500

The firms were among the 37 contractors who bid on the pair of construction projects. The companies were recommended to the school board by Skillman Corporation, the firm managing a series of planned upgrades to the district’s buildings, following interviews with the low-bidders earlier this month, said Union Schools Superintendent Paul Hartsig.

The improvements to Sister Lakes and Kincheloe are part of the $37 million worth of renovations funded through the pair of school bonds approved by voters in November 2015. Contractors have been working to overhaul Union High School since last May, where they have installed new classroom furniture and built new learning and studying areas for students, among other enhancements.

In comparison to the work at Union High, the planned improvements to Sister Lakes and Kincheloe, as well as those planned for Patrick Hamilton and Justus Gage, are not as in depth. Instead, construction will focus mainly on installing new flooring, ceilings, windows and doors, as well as improving computer networking in the buildings. The most important aspect of construction will focus on shoring up security in the structures, with construction a secure entry vestibule — similar to that at Dowagiac Middle School — as well as installation of new heating/cooling systems, which should eliminate the need for staff to open doors and windows during the school day to keep students comfortable.

“The improvements to the elementary schools will not be as extensive, but there is still quite a bit of work to do,” Hartsig said about the projects. “They will be fantastic upgrades for students and the rest of the community who use the facilities.”

Bids for the Patrick Hamilton and Justus Gage projects are due by the end of February, with the board expected to discuss and possibly vote on them during its meeting in March, Hartsig said. The district plans to break ground on all four renovation projects in June, with crews working through the summer, the 2018-2019 school year, and the following summer in order to have them wrapped up by fall 2019.