New Tyee High School reuses old gym floor in creative design ahead of September opening

With the start of the school year just months away, construction crews are putting the finishing touches on the new Tyee High School campus — including a creative reuse of materials from the original building, Highline Public Schools announced.

In a nod to the school’s history, colorful sections of the old gym floor — complete with painted stripes — are being repurposed as decorative wall paneling and built-in seating throughout the new campus. The school’s iconic glue-laminated wood beams have also been reused to form the roof deck of the library and to craft chunky wooden benches.

“Sections of the old gym floors, still bearing colorful floor stripes, have been transformed into decorative wall paneling and built-in seating,” project officials said in an update posted Friday, June 7, 2025

The bleachers in the new gymnasium will spell out “TYEE,” and large silver letters identifying “Tyee High School” have already been installed on the building’s main entrance facing South 188th Street. Wood-toned finishes in the performance space add to a warm, modern design, while kitchen equipment has been delivered and installed.

Outside, work is progressing on the athletic field north of the main school building. Crews are preparing the surface for site-specific drainage before installing synthetic turf and a new running track.

The new Tyee High School is being constructed with funds from a 2022 voter-approved bond and remains on schedule to open in September, officials said.

“The Tyee High School replacement project… is on schedule to open school in September, and within budget.”

More info available on the district’s Tyee Construction Progress webpage.