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With $14.2 million worth of summer construction projects completed late last month on a very tight schedule, Portland Public Schools is now focusing on its next steps stemming from the $482 million bond measure approved by voters in 2012.

Five firms 鈥� P&C Construction, Payne Construction, Baldwin General Contracting, 2KG Contractors and Cedar Mill Construction Co. 鈥� completed roof replacements, seismic upgrades and ADA accessibility improvements at 12 PPS elementary or middle schools before students returned on Tuesday. Some crews worked six or seven days a week, said Jim Owens, the district’s senior director for the Office of School Modernization.

鈥淲hen kids came back, it was like nothing happened,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 would characterize it as a great success.鈥�

One project now beginning is preparation of the vacant Marshall High School for occupancy, Owens said. The school will become a temporary home 鈥� first for Franklin High students starting next spring when a modernization of their school begins. After that two-year project finishes, Grant High students will move into Marshall in 2017 for two years while their school is modernized. Other high school modernizations are planned as part of an expected 2016 bond measure, so Marshall could become a temporary home well into the future, Owens said.

Marshall has been closed since 2006, and $4 million worth of work will take place to bring it up to speed, Owens said. Skanska USA Building will improve classrooms, install new flooring and lighting, and perform roof repairs. The school, built in the 1950s, also will gain an upgraded fire-life safety system to meet current code. The athletic field will have its natural turf replaced with artificial turf via a partnership with Nike.

鈥淚t’s an opportunity that is unique to Portland Public Schools that we have a large facility that can accommodate those students,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e are getting it ready for when Franklin work starts next spring.鈥�

The $71 million Roosevelt High School modernization project, also being paid for with 2012 bond money, will not require students to vacate during construction, Owens said. Lease Crutcher Lewis is the construction manager-general contractor for that project, which will be scheduled so that potential conflicts with students are avoided.