Groundbreakings kick off construction

Over the past four months, groundbreaking ceremonies for Marshall and Ogden elementaries, McLoughlin Middle School and Vancouver iTech Preparatory kicked off construction work to rebuild those schools from the ground up. Pending unforeseen delays, Marshall and Ogden are projected to open in fall 2019, with iTech following in winter 2019 and McLoughlin in summer 2020.

Truman, King, Walnut Grove and Fir Grove/Vista also will be rebuilt in the next few years. The plans for Truman have been finalized.

Upcoming projects include expansions of Columbia River High School and Vancouver School of Arts and Academics. The Lieser Campus will move into the existing Marshall Elementary, which will be upgraded.

In September, five elementary schools celebrated forthcoming classroom additions that are projected to be ready summer 2019. Eisenhower Elementary will receive two classrooms. Felida Elementary will gain four classrooms. Six classrooms and a co-op space will be coming to Fruit Valley Community Learning Center. Harney Elementary will see four new classrooms, and Salmon Creek Elementary will see two new classrooms.

Playground and turf field upgrades completed

Playgrounds at 13 elementary schools last summer and early this fall received new rubberized surfaces that make the play equipment more accessible for all students and help keep puddles at bay. Rubberized tiles were added to Anderson, Eisenhower, Felida, Franklin, Fruit Valley, Harney, Hazel Dell, Lake Shore, Lincoln, Minnehaha, Roosevelt, Sacajawea and Salmon Creek’s playgrounds. Playground surfaces at Chinook and Washington were completed last school year. Work on Hough’s playground is underway and includes equipment as well as surfacing.

Elementary schools that are being replaced—King, Marshall, Ogden, Truman and Walnut Grove—will get new playgrounds and equipment with their new buildings.

Columbia River, Fort Vancouver, Hudson’s Bay and Skyview high schools each received a multipurpose artificial turf field. Fort Vancouver’s varsity softball field and Hudson’s Bay’s baseball infield also received artificial turf.

Additional upgrades

In addition to playground and field improvements, the following upgrades recently were completed:

  • Secure entrances at Jefferson Middle School and Lake Shore Elementary
  • Roofing repairs/replacement at Skyview High School and Fort Vancouver High School
  • Asphalt and concrete improvements at Skyview and Hudson’s Bay high schools and Gaiser Middle School

Also now in progress:

  • Acoustic improvements at Hough Elementary and Jason Lee Middle School
  • New hands-on learning space at Vancouver Flex Academy