A new gym being built within the existing footprint of North Battleford Comprehensive High School to accommodate Grade 7 and 9 students could be ready by mid-October.
Members of the board of education for Living Sky School Division heard at their meeting last week that the electrical work has begun and the roofing was being finished.
Facilities Manager Brian Bossaer said installation of the wood floor is expected to start between Sept. 21 and 28, with that process taking four to five weeks.
"Realistically, I saw middle of October," said Bossaer when asked when he expected the gym to be ready.
He also reported the new classrooms were to be ready as of last Thursday morning, although the hope had been to have them ready for the first day of school.
"Not perfect, but pretty close," he said about the completion of the classroom space.
Renovations have been going on at NBCHS since 2013 in order to accommodate the relocation of Grades 7 and 8 to the high school building to alleviate overcrowding in local elementary schools.
The Grade 8s moved in at the beginning of the 2013-14 school year, with Grade 7s beginning there this school term.
Director of Education Randy Fox said the division has had good feedback so far on the move of the Grade 7s, including from parents who say their kids have come home excited about being at the Comp.
Superintendent of Operation and Instruction Jim Shevchuk said, despite the stress they've been under, everyone from the custodians to the office staff to the teachers have been doing an excellent job during the transition.
The renovations at NBCHS are costing more than $4 million. They have been funded by reserves put away by the school board in past years. The province declined to provide capital funding for the revamp.
