The following is a news release from the Tahoma School District.

Construction and maintenance crews have had a busy summer, making safety and security improvements at existing schools while, at the same time, the new Tahoma High School project is rapidly taking shape.

Much of the summer work was paid for with funds from the 2013 construction and remodeling bond measure. Most of the bond measure dollars are directed toward the new high school, but a significant portion is paying for improvements at existing schools.

Here are highlights from this summer’s projects:

New high school: Work at the new Tahoma High School site is on time and within budget. Timber and brush removal is done and grading is substantially complete. Work has begun on pouring concrete footings for the main high school building.

Planning is underway to prepare for the opening of the new high school and the repurposing of four existing schools in the summer of 2017, including attendance area changes.

Security: Main entrances at Rock Creek and Glacier Park elementary schools were remodeled to improve visibility and control access. The old configuration had two sets of doors, with the interior doors opening into the foyer. The new arrangement moves the interior doors farther inside so that the main office entrance is between the two sets of doors. The interior doors will be locked at the beginning of each school day; visitors must enter the office and receive permission to move into the main hallway. Exterior windows in the office are being improved by removing opaque glass blocks and installing clear glass that allows people in the office to see outside. A new window is being installed in the area between the main doors to allow viewing of visitors coming into the office. The changes cost about $27,000 at each school.

Security fencing was added at Shadow Lake Elementary, along with new signs that direct visitors to the main office. Selected shrubs and trees at all schools are being trimmed to improve sight lines and reduce places where intruders could conceal themselves. Security fencing was improved last year at Lake Wilderness Elementary School and two years ago at Glacier Park Elementary.

The security changes are part of a comprehensive review of security at all schools. Tahoma will soon advertise for proposals to update safety and security plans for each school and the district. Further changes will be made during the next two years as part of $3 million that will be spent to improve security.

Safety: New gym floors are in place at Shadow Lake, Rock Creek and Glacier Park elementary schools. The flooring material is called Mondo Advanced, which is a durable multi-use surface. It covers worn rubberized flooring at Rock Creek and Glacier Park that was installed when the schools were built 20 or more years ago. Shadow Lake replaced indoor-outdoor carpet in its gym, which was installed 16 years ago. The new floors cost $119,716 at Glacier Park; $95,139 at Rock Creek; and $60,326 at Shadow Lake.

Disabled-access ramps on all campuses were inspected, repaired or replaced this summer to ensure they meet safety standards. The backstage area at Tahoma Middle School Theatre was repainted and rigging equipment replaced at a cost of $61,173.

The all-weather running tracks at Tahoma High School and Tahoma Junior High were resurfaced. The FieldTurf surface at Tahoma High School’s Maxwell Stadium was replaced with new FieldTurf. The cost for the track and football stadium resurfacing is $739,831.26 and is paid for out of the general fund, where funds have been set aside each year for more than 10 years to replace the artificial surfaces when they reached the end of their life expectancy. The junior high track cost $130,917.85.

Lake Wilderness Elementary School: Architects and engineers have surveyed and studied the Lake Wilderness Elementary building and campus as planning work continues toward remodeling the school in the 2017-18 school year. Security fencing was added at the school last fall.