TCAPS Approves Nearly $10M in Projects, Including TC West & Traverse Heights Renovations

Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) trustees unanimously approved nearly $10 million in bond projects Monday, including a major reconstruction of the Traverse City West High School traffic circulation to take place over the next two summers and a Traverse Heights expansion that will add three new classrooms, a larger cafeteria, and a renovated music room.

The largest project is a two-year revamp of the TC West High traffic signal and circulation system (pictured, rendering), with trustees approving more than $4.45 million in construction contracts Monday. In cooperation with the Grand Traverse County Road Commission, TCAPS will eliminate one of the school’s two traffic lights and consolidate to one entrance and exit at the Herkner Road light. “Eliminating that second light will cause less congestion on North Long Lake Road,” said TCAPS Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Christine Thomas-Hill, as well as less “chaos” for vehicles entering and exiting the school.

A new crosswalk and sidewalk will lead from Herkner to the school, with another crosswalk installed near the school. West's parking lots are also being moved closer to the school’s sidewalks so that road traffic will circulate on the outside of the lots rather than between the lots and the building. That should help eliminate pedestrian-vehicle conflict points, staff said. Circulation will remain one way but now “going the correct way,” Thomas-Hill said, with two lanes in some areas for “a lot better clarity” and “room to maneuver.” TCAPS Trustee Holly Bird, a parent of a former TC West student, said families “have been asking for this (project) for a long time.” 

Other sidewalk, asphalt, and snowmelt improvements are planned, as well as new lighting and signage. Also bundled into the project is a small roadway addition to the entry into Long Lake Elementary School off North Long Lake Road, which will extend that school’s right-turn exit to avoid traffic backups. The focus of the first phase of work this summer will be TC West’s front entrance and traffic alignment, a bus loop, and a parking lot/parent drop-off area near the high school’s Innovation and Manufacturing Center. Work in summer 2026 will focus on the other side of the school, including staff/student parking modifications and improvements to the athletic parking area.

Thomas-Hill said it wasn’t “necessarily ideal” to stretch the project over two summers but said it appeared unavoidable given the level of work required. Other construction projects will also be going on at TC West, including heat pump replacements as part of a massive district-wide energy efficiency project and renovations to restrooms. With so much work planned for TC West, Thomas-Hill said she’d “rather plan for two summers” than face delays trying to cram everything into one season.

Trustees Monday also awarded a $3.254 million contract to Hallmark Construction for an expansion at Traverse Heights Elementary School. Three early education/kindergarten classrooms are being installed in the school’s north wing, each with their own restroom. A new restroom is also being added between two existing classrooms. The school’s cafeteria – which Thomas-Hill said can’t handle the current student population, much less future growth – is being expanded, matching the size of other TCAPS elementary cafeterias. The Traverse Heights music classroom is also being renovated. Work is expected to be completed by the end of this summer, with trustees expected to approve a separate contract next month for furniture, fixtures, and equipment.

The expansion of Traverse Heights marks a remarkable turnaround for the school. TCAPS Superintendent Dr. John VanWagoner said when he was first hired in 2020, he “was very worried about having to close Traverse Heights.” The school had 179 students. However, in the last five years Traverse Heights has seen significant growth, now boasting over 300 students. VanWagoner attributed that growth to school staff – including Principal Bryan Kay – who have brought “a ton of energy to that building.” The surrounding neighborhood also remains “one of the most affordable” within city limits, VanWagoner said, which has helped attract families. Thomas-Hill also pointed to significant housing growth on nearby LaFranier Road, with multiple new developments and neighborhood expansions.

“I think all those things combined have just made it a really, really strong school that people want to send their kids to,” VanWagoner said.

The TC West and Traverse Heights projects are both being paid for by capital bond funds. Trustees approved other capital bond projects Monday, including more than $161,000 for new permanent walls for music classrooms at Cherry Knoll, Long Lake, Silver Lake, and Willow Hill elementary schools. Another contract for $246,000 will cover locker upgrades at Blair and Courtade elementary schools, where the existing lockers are over three decades old. Trustees Monday also approved just over $1 million in bus purchases, including five 77-passenger conventional school buses and one 88-passenger transit bus, as well as bus tablets and two-way radios and cameras. The bus purchases are coming out of the district’s transportation bond allocation.