San Dieguito High School Academy students returned to many familiar sights when the new school year began at the end of August — including the now-familiar views of construction on campus.

The ongoing construction is part of a master renovation project of the school, which began in earnest in January and is scheduled to continue through 2017.

Currently under construction is a new math and science building at the center of the Encinitas campus, which dates back to the 1930s. The new building will house both lecture-style classrooms and fully loaded science labs with state-of-the-art equipment for students.

Returning students and faculty were able to see the immediate progress construction workers had made while they enjoyed their summer break. The steel skeleton of the two-story building is now completed, as are the roof, stairs and ducts. Workers are now erecting the scaffolding to begin work on the exterior walls.

Principal Bjorn Paige said the project has continued according to schedule, without any of the unexpected setbacks common among such projects, although they did come across an unexpected surprise — a time capsule from a previous class.

The discovery caused quite a buzz throughout the campus and students were eager to open it to see what treasures it held. When it was finally opened, Paige said in an e-mail, “boy did it smell! Smelled like history, that is!”

It was later determined the capsule was created and buried by the class of 2000. Paige said later that he and his staff were able to find photos of students stocking and burying the time capsule 16 years ago.

“The event was fun and got our students excited about making a time capsule of their own that they hope to install in the new courtyard in early 2017,” he added.

The 2016-17 school year also marks San Dieguito Academy’s 80th anniversary. Paige said the school is working closely with alumni and its parent foundation to coordinate events throughout the year. Additionally, Tom Dempsey, former NFL kicker and San Dieguito alumnus, will be added to the Academy’s alumni hall of fame.

According to Paige, the next project on the master plan following the math and science building is another building for classrooms and an art studio at the southeast corner of the campus.

Students continue to add their personal touches to the temporary “tunnels” and plywood hallways surrounding the construction site in their own beautification project.

“Students continue to paint the ‘tunnel’ on the eastern side of the project, the plywood fencing on southern wall, and now have a new ‘canvas’ in the mural wall near our historic bell tower,” Paige said.

Russell Thornton, chief facilities officer for San Dieguito Union High School District, says San Dieguito Academy is one of four sites with projects currently underway within the district. Other projects include an entirely new campus for Earl Warren Middle School in Solana Beach as well as renovations at Canyon Crest and Torrey Pines high schools.

Funded by Proposition AA, the projects, including San Dieguito Academy, are all part of a master plan, which is overseen by the school board and the administrators in the district.

“That’s our guiding document,” Thornton said. “We still refer to that all the time as far as what are the needs at each of the schools.”

Once these projects began, Thornton said, the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee formed to review project spending to ensure Prop. AA funds are used accordingly. The ICOC meets with the district each quarter to “make sure we are spending the money wisely and on projects that are spelled out in our master plan,” Thornton said.

“Prop. AA has been very successful for our district,” Thornton added. “It’s something that the community wants (and) our students need, and so far we have done what we’ve promised to do in our building program.”

Michele Leivas is a San Diego freelance writer