Redmond High School students will learn in modular classrooms for the entirety of the 2026-27 school year after remodel construction shook loose dangerous amounts of asbestos from the building, the Redmond School District announced last week.
The district began construction this summer on a $53 million Redmond High modernization, funded by a taxpayer bond voters approved in 2024. The district planned on using a phased approach during construction, keeping portions of the building open for instruction as work progressed.
The fact that the building contained asbestos — a mineral fiber used in construction materials that, if inhaled via particles, can lead to lung disease — was always well communicated as something the district would have to deal with, said Logan McGinnis, a spokesperson for the district.
“What we didn’t anticipate was the amount that was going to be falling from the roof, essentially,” McGinnis told the Source.
According to the district’s press release, recent environmental testing for asbestos in the main academic building showed it could not be safely occupied by students and staff without additional engineering to capture or remove the asbestos.
“The phased plan was always our preferred path, but we knew from the beginning that modular classrooms could be necessary, which was discussed during the bond campaign,” said Superintendent Charan Cline in the release. “Our top priority is the safety of staff, students, and the construction crews.”
Because work hasn’t begun on the gymnasium and Career and Technical Education wing, those facilities are still safe to host physical education, athletics and trades classes, the district said. Meanwhile, band, choir, theatre and ceramics classes will move to Hugh Hartman Elementary a short distance away.
The academic calendar will remain unchanged, and Redmond High School students will remain on campus. The district plans to communicate more details in the coming weeks.
Officials are optimistic the decision will keep the remodel construction on track to wrap up before the 2027-2028 school year.
The project includes replacing heating and cooling systems, upgrading fire sprinkler and alarm systems, replacing the roof, remodeling the theater, upgrading CTE classrooms, new wrestling facility additions, installing new LED lighting and updating HVAC controls. It’s the largest project in a $100 million bond paying for sweeping upgrades to buildings and athletic facilities across the district.
MAKE LOCAL JOURNALISM HAPPEN
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
