Pasco School District officials told the board Tuesday that two new high schools opened to students on time and that work continues on multiple construction and facilities projects across the district.

Assistant Superintendent Seathal reported Orion and Sageview high schools welcomed their first students on Aug. 26, 2025. Construction crews remain on site to complete punch-list and warranty items; the Sageview greenhouse is scheduled for completion in December 2025. Seathal said the district expects the projects will finish at or under budget.

Work is underway or planned on several other projects: Pasco High School A-wing CTE modernization is in schematic design with construction scheduled to begin in June 2026 and complete in July 2027, Seathal said. Design firms have been contracted for athletic-field and CTE projects; a softball field is planned to be completed in November 2026. The district said Tahoma (Chiawana) CTE modernization is in early design with an anticipated August 2026 completion.

HVAC replacements have been delayed by supply-chain issues. Seathal said replacement equipment for Pasco High School D wing arrived recently and on-site work resumed; the original five-month project is now projected to finish in February 2026. McLaughlin and Captain Gray HVAC upgrades are at late stages; Captain Gray’s project is under review with the Washington State Department of Enterprise Services.

The operations report also covered compliance steps tied to Washington’s Clean Building Performance Standard Act. Seathal said the district will submit an energy-compliance plan to the state in December 2025. She described district strategies including standardizing indoor temperatures, HVAC tune-ups and modern control systems, lighting retrofits, and reducing plug loads. Seathal warned that failing to submit compliance documentation could trigger administrative penalties “of up to 30¢ per square foot of gross floor area,” and she offered an illustrative example: a 300,000-square-foot high school could face about $90,000 in penalties.

In June, the district received formal notice of noncompliance with Washington State and City of Pasco fire codes for issues including electrical-circuit overloads and unsafe personal-appliance use, Seathal said. The district moved to remove personal space heaters, mini refrigerators, microwaves and similar items from individual classrooms and offices; exceptions may be granted in shared lounges or for staff accommodations and students with 504 plans or IEPs. Kiln rooms were among spaces flagged; over the summer the district completed shelving replacement, kiln repositioning, and HVAC improvements. The Pasco fire marshal has authorized resumption of kiln use at sites that complete a successful test firing; those test firings are in progress, district staff said.

Board members asked for detail about relocations during Pasco High School’s CTE renovation; Seathal said programs would likely use portables and that district storage space will hold machinery and equipment during construction. The board also asked whether state grants had covered Clean Building upgrades; Seathal said the Department of Commerce funded a D-wing upgrade and the district has applied for grants to help with other work.

Casey Flynn, director of visual and performing arts, told the board that test firings are being completed and that staff are coordinating with art teachers to resume students’ projects as safe firings are confirmed.

No formal action items were taken during the report; staff will continue construction oversight, complete kiln test firings, submit the energy compliance plan by December 2025, and provide further updates to the board.