MONROE — More than 1,000 elementary students left two campuses this week for the last time before big changes come to the schools.

Two projects from the $110.9 million bond passed by voters in 2015 are set to get under way this summer. They’ll continue through next year, with students in existing buildings during construction, and should be done by fall 2018.

Salem Woods Elementary on Wagner Road is getting a new two-story school to replace four of its five classroom buildings. After that is done, the other buildings can be torn down for parking and play fields. One old building, with a multipurpose gym, lunch and music area, is not being updated, said John Mannix, assistant superintendent of district operations. That likely will be part of a future bond.

The rebuild of Salem Woods, which has 471 students, is a $22.7 million project. The current school was built in 1980.

At Frank Wagner Elementary off W. Main Street, 10 classrooms are being added along with a music room, updated special education spaces, a new library and a makerspace for art and science. Portables will be removed. The total cost for renovating the 27-year-old elementary is $14.9 million. There are 572 students.

Bond dollars also are being used at Park Place and Hidden River middle schools. The Park Place overhaul is about halfway done and work is expected to start on Hidden River in June 2018. Sports fields were added at Monroe High School, and smaller projects such as roof repairs and gym remodels are being done at other schools.

Instructors say bond projects will make Frank Wagner and Salem Woods safer and better suited for modern lessons. They’ll also allow room for growth as more families move into the district.

Rachel Sullivan attended Frank Wagner when she was in elementary school and now teaches there. Her daughter is in third grade at the school.

“I remember when they tore down the original building and my mom purchased school supplies from the surplus sale,” Sullivan said. “I used those supplies to teach my sisters to read.”

Classes are spread out. She used to teach kindergarten and it would take up to 15 minutes on a rainy or snowy day to lead the kids out of her classroom, across the lot and into another building for gym, library or music.

The open campus isn’t ideal for security, she said. As a teacher and parent, she’s looking forward to indoor walkways.

“Academics is first and foremost for me as a teacher,” Sullivan said. “But unfortunately, in the day and age we live in, safety does come to mind.”

Janna Pope has been principal at Salem Woods for 11 years and Lisa Cysewski has taught there since 1991.

They like Salem Woods, with its outdoorsy, welcoming feel. However, the buildings are aging and hard to secure. The new school will swap covered outdoor walkways for indoor hallways. Classes are to be grouped so teachers and students can easily work together. They expect better lighting and no leaky ceilings. Designs also take advantage of the nearby green space and creek with an outdoor learning space.

“We’re also getting inundated with new technology,” Cysewski said. “I feel like our school has come a long way in different technology and how kids are able to access their world through that technology.”

The reworked elementaries will be ready for tech upgrades, including sound systems and interactive monitors.

“We need to catch up to the world our kids are in,” Pope said.

Year-long construction at both schools brings challenges. Salem Woods families were told that all students next year are expected to arrive by bus. Space to park or drop off kids is going to be nearly nonexistent, Pope said.

“We have a lot of parents who like to drive their kids, and every student will have to get on a school bus,” she said. “It’s a one-year inconvenience.”

The lack of parking also means some events, such as the school carnival, might have to be postponed or relocated.

The teachers and principal say results will be worth a year of parking woes.

“Schools are really the heart of a community,” Pope said. “I think it speaks volumes to have schools that are updated and taken care of.”

Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com.