A forthcoming $900,000 renovation project marks a light at the end of the tunnel, and in the classrooms of Arrow Heights Elementary School (AHE).

AHE is one of two School District 19 buildings in Revelstoke that retains its structure from the 1970s. Half the school's classrooms remain without recent renovations and out of date, with limited improvements made up until 2024.

In these learning environments, "the resources they're using now are quite different than to 1970 or 1980," said SD19 secretary treasurer Bruce Tisdale.

The latest renovation planned for the school looks to put away the last of AHE's dated decor, and fulfill three-year-old promises.

It will see the remaining half-dozen older classrooms at the back of the building modernized, with more versatile learning spaces, skylights, LED lighting and better doorways and insulation.

Earlier this month, SD19 selected TKI Construction of Kelowna out of five bids for the project, granting the company about $898,500 and two additional instalments totalling about $92,450.

"We were nervous because the district does not have the money to fund any of those cost overrides," Tisdale said, adding that this nearly $900,000 project stays within approved budget. "There would've been conversation if it had gone way over budget, or if there was only one tender."

The added instalments will refit the school doors to open into their classrooms, instead of the other way, to improve safety and reduce clutter. They'll also cover a makeover of the front doors to create better insulation, though Tisdale notes this was part of the plan from the very beginning.

More widely covered by the nearly $900,000 are skylight installations for interior classrooms that have gone decades without seeing daylight - a promise from three years ago that SD19 is keeping its word on.

The project will also get SD19 to its goal of 100 per cent LED lighting across all four schools.

This renovation comes as a final push to a series of modernizing million-dollar renovations at AHE. It's a huge win, according to Tisdale, over investing between $20 million and $30 million to raise a brand-new elementary school from the ground up.

While B.C.'s Ministry of Education sees high competition for fixed-capital projects such as school renovations, Tisdale explained, SD19 has found success in recent years securing a total $4 million for different projects that have brought AHE forward by a half-century.

"Other than the fact it's brick, it almost looks like a brand-new school," he said. Besides the classrooms at the back of AHE, "everything else is modern and that's great for the kids."

Describing the aesthetic of the school's next renovation, Tisdale said, "Revelstoke is obviously very impacted by the trees, the mountains, the snow, and that's going to be reflected in the outline."

With TKI Construction selected, a timeline for the project is expected to come within a few weeks.