A stubborn roof fire and a construction delay have Highline schools officials scrambling to get schools ready for the first day of classes on Sept. 5.

"This summer you need a scorecard to know what's going on," Assistant Superintendent Geri Fain joked at the Highline School Board meeting on July 26.

A fire on July 14 damaged the new Cedarhurst Elementary School in north Burien, which is still under construction, making it unable to open in September as planned.

At the meeting, board members approved an emergency resolution authorizing district staffers to expend necessary funds to repair Cedarhurst and make other schools ready for students.

Cedarhurst students will begin the school year at Sunnydale, located at 15631 Eighth Avenue South. The Sunnydale building is expected to be ready by Aug. 10 for Cedarhurst teachers to begin setting up their classrooms.

Fain said officials will know in a few weeks the scope of repairs needed at Cedarhurst.

Big Picture High, an alternative school, was housed at Sunnydale. The Big Picture students will move to the old Glacier High site at 2450 S. 142nd Street in SeaTac.

Fain said Big Picture classes will be held in the 100 building at Glacier.

Workers will need to re-roof that school and fix a broken water main before students arrive. Teachers may move into the building by Aug. 20.

"The city of SeaTac has been really wonderful in helping us get a school ready that has been closed for a long time," Fain added.

She also announced that not all of the new Bow Lake Elementary in SeaTac will be ready by Sept. 5.

The classroom wings, office and library will be ready, as will the covered play area, 42nd Avenue parking lot and drop-off/pick-up.

But use of the gym, multipurpose room and kitchen will be phased in through the end of October, according to Fain. Meals will be prepared at other schools until the Bow Lake kitchen is complete.

She blamed construction delays on bid complications, weather problems and labor shortages.

Students, who attended Valley View Elementary, will join Bow Lake students at the new building.

Early childhood programs will be consolidated in the Valley View building with classes beginning Sept. 15.

The new Mt. Rainier High in Des Moines is on schedule to open on Sept. 5, Fain reported.

Mt. Rainier students spent the past two school years at the Olympic school site while their new facility was being built.

Fain noted the district "suffered a bit of a setback" at Olympic during the weekend when 67 windows were broken by vandals. No thefts were detected.

Aviation High students are set to move into Olympic for the new school year.

Shorewood Elementary students will be housed at the Beverly Park and Midway Elementary students will move to the Manhattan site as their new schools are being built.

Fain said extra security guards will be hired for the first part of the school year because of all the building changes.