Pouring the Foundation for Education

Construction is fully underway at Polson High School as part of the district’s $40 million bond-funded initiative to modernize school facilities.

SWANK Enterprises, the general contractor managing the high school phase, is currently focused on the new addition. Concrete work is progressing quickly, with crews pouring the foundation and setting the first concrete walls along the north side of the school. Simultaneously, work inside the building has closed off access to the downstairs bathrooms, creating some temporary logistical challenges for students and staff.  

A struggle crews had to overcome is when they accidentally struck a main water line while excavating. The break triggered a rapid shutdown of water access across the entire high school. To make matters worse, the middle school field flooded creating a temporary soggy mess. Polson City crews had to step in to shut off the water and assist with mitigation. While the school remained open and classes continued, the lack of water forced adjustments, including limited bathroom access and no drinking fountains.  

This summer, major interior renovations will start to be seen in the high school.  The freshmen hall which houses family and consumer science, special education, art, and shop classes will be cleared out to make room for construction crews after students leave for the summer.  Next school year, the high school has developed a plan to reassign teachers’ classrooms if construction is not quiet at the finish line yet.  Polson High School principal and construction projects representative, Andrew Fors said, “it’s a really big ask of the teachers to move like that, but the high school staff has been great about it.” 

A recent big step for the middle school was phase one of the design went to bid.  LPW Architecture, the district’s architecture firm, and middle school administrators have been working hard to develop a plan for projects to happen over the summer. The middle school would also like to take advantage of the summer while students are away to make some interior renovations and to overall keep the construction projects on track according to Fors.

Meanwhile, Cherry Valley and Linderman elementary schools are tying up loose ends and construction crews and school staff have been going through storage to pull furniture out and put it in all the new spaces, so that in the fall students and staff can occupy the new ateas.  

This multi-campus construction push is the largest facilities overhaul Polson School District has seen in decades. Funded by voter-approved bonds in 2023, the long-term goal is to eliminate aging modular buildings, consolidate students under secure roofs, and bring classrooms into the 21st century. That includes everything from upgraded science labs and CTE spaces to a new Native American Culture Center at the high school.

With work estimated to finish in 2026, the district is urging families to stay patient, stay informed, and trust the process. The payoff, they say, will be well worth the wait.