Royal School Board awards construction contract

ROYAL CITY — Leone and Keeble, Spokane, has been awarded a $19.87 million contract for upgrades at Royal High School and Royal Middle School. Royal School Board members awarded the contract during a special meeting Oct. 13.

District superintendent Roger Trail said the projects were part of a bond approved by district voters in 2019. The project will add two classrooms at the high school, two at the middle school and include security upgrades, Trail said.

The remodeling at the high school also will move one classroom, and the remodeling at the high school will connect its existing wings. Existing classrooms will get new paint jobs and some new furniture.

The original plan called for four classrooms at the high school, Trail said. But when district officials looked at student populations, they decided two new classrooms in each building was a better use of the money.

The RHS gym will be refurbished, with new locker rooms. Heating-cooling systems and the electrical system in both buildings will be upgraded.

The middle school office will be completely remodeled, along with some of the bathrooms. The entries at both buildings will be remodeled, and will be the only way to enter, Trial said.

People will have to buzz the office for entry. When the project is finished all four of the district’s buildings will have a buzz-in entry, he said.

“This is exciting. It’s been a long time coming,” Trail said.

Construction is scheduled to begin about Oct. 26. Two portable buildings already owned by the district will be moved to the middle school and high school and serve as classrooms and locker rooms, Trail said.