School construction projects ‘on schedule’ as district prepares for new term

The construction projects at James Williams Middle School and Rhinelander High School remain on schedule with just under two weeks left before students are due to return to the classroom.
District superintendent Eric Burke offered an update on the construction projects — upgrades at both the middle school and high school— during the Aug. 18 school board meeting and the monthly newsletter sent to district families.
“This transformative project is not only about improving physical spaces — it’s about creating learning environments that truly reflect the needs of today’s students and tomorrow’s workforce,” Burke wrote in the newsletter.
He went on to note that the new science classrooms at RHS will be fully ready for the start of the 2025–2026 school year, offering modern labs and flexible spaces to enhance STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) instruction.
The auto and construction labs— described as a “cornerstone” of the district’s Career and Technical Education expansion — are scheduled to be ready for student use by December 2025, he added.

The entire high school project is on track to be fully completed by July 2026. As for the middle school project, work is “progressing steadily” and is expected to be fully completed before the end of the 2025–2026 school year.
“One of the most important aspects of this construction initiative is the enhancement of our Career and Technical Education (CTE) facilities, particularly in the skilled trades,” Burke added. The new labs and learning spaces are designed to support high-quality programming in automotive technology, construction, welding, engineering, and more.”
The updates are the result of the passage of a $26 million referendum in the spring of 2024.
In the runup to the vote, district officials characterized the upgrades as essential to preparing students for the workforce by instilling industry-relevent skills.
“These spaces will be more than just classrooms—they will be launchpads for futures filled with opportunity,” Burke wrote in the newsletter.
Due to the construction, classes will begin a few days later than usual. The first day of school for students in 4K-5, sixth grade and ninth grade will be Sept. 8. Students entering seventh, eighth, 10th, 11th and 12th grades will start school on Sept. 9.