OBSERVER Photos by M.J. Stafford Dunkirk City School District officials break ground on a $83.7 million capital project Tuesday.

The Dunkirk City School District celebrated a groundbreaking for its $83.7 million capital project Tuesday.

Dunkirk Board of Education members, district officials and representatives from project engineers LaBella gathered in front of the high school on Sixth Street for the “shovels in dirt” photos. They were on the site of what will become a new high school main office.

Seniors from a DHS engineering class also stepped in for a photo.

“I’ve never seen Mr. Abbey smile more than when he gets a hard hat on,” joked Superintendent Brian Swatland, referring to Tim Abbey, the district buildings and grounds supervisor.

Abbey said the current high school office is a “headache” scenario. With the new office, “families will be able to come to the main office and never have to come into the school,” he said.

Swatland said the high school office addition is part of “Phase 1.1 out of 6.” A new cafeteria and outdoor courtyard are also going in during Phase 1.1.

Swatland said new classrooms are coming as well, both as part of the project and because office space will get freed up by the addition. The superintendent also wants to add a family health center in some of the freed space.

Phases 2 and beyond will expand work to all district schools. A notable point there is that all buildings will get air conditioning.

There will also be a new turf field and track laid out, new tennis courts, and the baseball and softball fields will get lights.

The new high school office should be ready in time for the start of the 2026-27 school year, Swatland continued. There is already a sizable hole in the ground near the high school’s current main entrance, in apparent preparation for the new office’s foundation.

All six phases of the entire project could take until 2032 to complete, Swatland said.

That’s a long haul, and it had to start somewhere. Swatland said he was “exhilarated for today to be happening.”