Oak Harbor High School opens new auditorium in latest addition

Published 10:36 pm Tuesday, December 1, 2009

OAK HARBOR — Another phase in the $74 million revamping of Oak Harbor High School will be ready for students next week.

The expanded and rebuilt Student Union Building is set to open Monday. The two-story, $12 million structure includes a cafeteria and auditorium with space for the music program on the second floor.

The project will provide a usable stage for the first time in many years. The auditorium will have elevated seating for 500 people on both the main floor and mezzanine levels.

“Now we’ll have a real stage with real lighting, real sound and real seating,” said Joe Hunt, a school district spokesman.

When not being used for music or drama productions, the seating will fold up like bleachers for breakfast and lunch.

Student musicians at the school will have vastly improved classroom space, Hunt said.

No longer will the band and choir be in adjoining classrooms.

For band director Bruce Lantz, it will be the first time in about 20 years he will have a classroom with windows and natural light, Hunt said.

Some other classrooms will have a view of Saratoga Passage.

Work on the 40-acre campus has been completed in phases.

In April, the Career, Arts and Technical Center opened. It includes automotive, welding and construction shops, engineering, video production and the student-run Wildcat TV studio classes as well as learning space for graphic design, photography, pottery, metal design and art.

In September, the upgraded B wing for math and science opened with modern labs and better technology.

The school also has opened other new classrooms and new bleachers in the fieldhouse that can seat 1,700 students for assemblies. At the same time, school grounds have been landscaped.

“The campus has much more of a collegiate feel to it,” Hunt said.

Voters passed a $54 million bond to overhaul the high school. The state picked up the rest of the tab through matching funds.

Hunt said he believes some of the enrollment increase the school district is experiencing could be a result of improvements to the high school that are convincing Navy families to stay in Oak Harbor.

“The high school is a flagship,” he said. “I just think they look at nice school facilities.”

Next up will be major construction work to the school’s A wing and library. That work is expected to be finished by next fall.

After that, attention will be turned to renovating outdoor athletic facilities, such as the baseball and practice fields.

An open house and community celebration is set for 4 to 7 p.m. Jan. 13. It will include tours, classroom demonstration, free cafeteria samples and student music.

Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com.