Central Bucks West students heading back to school on Monday, Aug. 31, will find two art classrooms temporarily moved while contractors finish work that spilled past the deadline.

The district confirmed Tuesday, Aug. 18, that all four buildings undergoing renovations will open on schedule for the 2026-27 school year, but construction crews at CB West are working extended hours seven days a week to get there. The two art rooms, adjacent to new construction, need another two to three weeks before students can use them. Administrators have not yet said where those classes will meet in the meantime.

The projects, authorized by the school board in November 2024, support Central Bucks' grade realignment shifting high schools to a 9–12 model, middle schools to 6–8 and elementary schools to K–5. Full-day kindergarten is also expanding to all 15 elementary buildings. The high school renovations alone carry an approximately $12 million price tag, according to Bucks Independence.

Here's where each building stands, according to the district's construction update issued after the Aug. 13 Finance and Operations Committee meeting:

CB East: Essentially complete. Crews are finishing punch-list items, cleaning and placing furniture. The project added and renovated instructional areas and upgraded the library and entrance vestibule.

CB West: Most spaces will be ready Aug. 31. Beyond the art room delay, the terrazzo floor in the new main lobby will be walkable on opening day but won't receive its final grinding and polishing until winter break so crews can prioritize the entrance, reception and security areas.

CB South: Six new classrooms, two per floor, converted from former planning areas are expected to be ready for the first bell. A larger three-story addition won't be finished until summer 2027; structural steel installation is underway. That addition will house Family and Consumer Sciences facilities, freeing existing space for expanded special education classrooms. Construction will also squeeze parking: seniors get priority for available student spots, and juniors will be ineligible for daytime parking this year.

Mill Creek Elementary: The addition and renovations are substantially complete. Final mechanical work, inspections, cleaning and furniture delivery are underway.

"We appreciate the patience and flexibility of our students, families, teachers and staff as this work has progressed," Superintendent Dr. Joanna Wexler said in the district's Tuesday statement.

Students return Aug. 31 and Sept. 1. The district has not announced a date for its next public construction update.