Even with construction still ongoing, superintendent Alfonso Angelucci said Slippery Rock Area High School will be ready to welcome back its students on Thursday, Sept. 4.

There have been previous concerns around the air quality at the school throughout the construction process, but administrators said the district has worked to make sure the environment is suitable for students.

“Obviously, we really need the classes, the cafeteria and the restrooms,” Angelucci said. “It’s still messy, it’s a construction area, but we do have an occupancy permit and we will have students here for the first day of school.”

The areas being renovated and updated include the cafeteria and kitchen, the school library and media center, large group instruction rooms adjacent to the library, a brand new career and technical education space, new administrative space and new parent and visitor entrance work.

The construction includes updating electrical, HVAC and plumbing systems at the high school.

Slippery Rock Area School District began construction on the high school in the summer of 2024. The district has previously said it hopes to finish by summer 2026.

The project’s cost is about $22 million.