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Crews work on the exterior of the lobby of the new competition gym outside Dowagiac Union High School Wednesday morning. (Leader photo/TED YOAKUM)

(Leader photo/TED YOAKUM)

A contractor paints the new interior classroom windows. (Leader photo/TED YOAKUM)

One of the new teacher workrooms. (Leader photo/TED YOAKUM)

One of the designed classrooms. (Leader photo/TED YOAKUM)

While there are a few major items left to finish before the first bell of the semester rings next week, the list of tasks before the contractors working on transforming the inside of Dowagiac Union High School is growing shorter and shorter by the day.

With only a few weeks left before classes resume Sept. 5, crews are winding down work on the first phase of the renovation project, which kicked off earlier this summer. Construction of the 10 classrooms targeted in the initial phase of work is nearly complete, as crews have finished painting the walls and installing new carpet, and are now beginning to place new furniture and equipment inside.

The redesigned high school classrooms, which are currently being used for social studies courses, will all share a similar design and layout, said Superintendent Paul Hartsig. Each will have new desks, cabinets and teaching podiums, as well as two new whiteboards and a 70-inch touchscreen display that instructors will use to for presentation materials, demonstrations and activities.

The spaces also sport brand new aesthetics, as the walls sport a white and either a pastel green or blue paint job. The new carpeting will incorporate color accents that complement the walls.

Students should find the new classrooms feel less confined than before, Hartsig said. Instead of using space inside a dedicated classroom, instructors will store their personal belongings inside one of four workrooms, which they will share with five other teachers.

“This way, all classrooms will share a general layout,” Hartsig said. “This will allow them to be more easily used by different teachers at different times.”

Crews installed new storage units inside the class and work rooms this week, and should begin putting in the new desks and electronics when they arrive in the coming days.

While the 10 classrooms only encompass a small portion of the high school’s 34 total rooms, a large percentage of the student body will likely have a class or two inside them this fall, as freshmen, sophomores and juniors are required to take a social studies class, Hartsig said.

The new classrooms are of part more than $16 million worth of improvements on deck for Union High. By the time work finishes in late 2018, the high school will have modernized classrooms, media center, cafeteria, offices and other facilities, as well as a new heating and cooling system, a secure entry vestibule and litany of other changes.

The high school and nearby Chris Taylor Alumni Field are the first facilities to receive upgrades as part of the $37 million bond issue that was passed by local voters nearly two years ago. Throughout the next several years, leaders plan on making significant overhauls to the four elementary buildings as well.

By January, most of the classroom improvements on the east wing should be complete. During the second phase of construction, which is scheduled to finish in October, crews will focus on finishing work on the English classrooms and the two new learning labs on the far end of the building. The phase after that will focus on the math classrooms the next hallway over, which should be wrapped up in January.

While crews will continue working during instruction hours, any noisy and disruptive tasks will be saved for late afternoon or evening hours whenever possible, Hartsig said. The district will place barriers in hallways where work is underway to separate students from the construction.

“The building will be under construction the entire year, so there will be have to some sacrifices,” Hartsig said. “However, the end product will be worth it in the end.”

Crews have made great headway with other tasks this summer. The front, east and west parking lots have been repaved, and will be painted with new parking lines later this week. In addition, contractors have finished installing new windows and a new student entry door on the school’s east wing, as well as wrapped up work on the exit-only doors near the front entrance.

Construction is also progressing smoothly on the new competition gym on the west side of the building. Crews recently began building the exterior walls of the building’s lobby, and will begin working on the roof of the structure when materials arrive in the spring.

Hartsig is hoping to wrap up construction on the structure by next summer, and possibly have the facility open to teams and spectators for the 2018 fall sports season.

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