PHOTOS: New Redmond High School Addition Ready for Students

is welcoming its largest student body ever to the campus this week as the  transitions to a new grade configuration that includes four-year high schools.

Ninth and 10th graders had their first day of class today, and all 1,800 or so RHS students will be on campus Wednesday.

To make room for the freshmen, a 30,000-square-foot classroom addition was built on to the RHS building. The new space features 14 classrooms, a small staff lounge, two fully-equipped science rooms and an art room. (Click on the images above to see photos of the new addition from LWSD.)

The $19-million expansion project was funded by a $65.4-million levy that voters approved in early 2011.

Elsewhere on the campus, crews built a new auxiliary gym and expanded the cafeteria to accomodate the extra students. District spokeswoman Kathryn Reith said the school also lengthened its passing periods from 5 to 6 minutes and moved some lockers out of narrow hallways to ease congestion as students move between classes.

Meanwhile, approximately 300 ninth and 10th graders started classes at the district's new STEM school today. The school is currently being housed at Eastlake High in Sammamish while construction at the new Redmond campus continues. (STEM is an acronym that stands for science, technology, engineering and math.)

Reith said officials aim to move students and faculty to the new building during winter break.

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