Oak Harbor students exchanged their bathing suits for backpacks as they headed in for their first day of school Thursday.

An estimated 5,400 students started classes, and the kids at Oak Harbor High School had their first look at some of the latest construction projects on campus.

The science and math wings were renovated, along with the field house and gym. The interior courtyard contains new sidewalks and construction crews are quickly progressing on the new commons building, as part of the $69 million project.

Principal Dwight Lundstrom said teens are still a little lost in navigating around the construction areas, but are quite pleased.

Jake Spurgeon is taking a math class in the newly renovated B-wing, and says he can see the improvement from last year.

“The hallways are bigger and it’s cleaner. It makes you feel proud to go here,” Spurgeon said.

Science teachers now have larger lab areas, new fume hoods and eye wash stations. Last year, science teacher Gary Thayer temporarily taught a few of his labs from an auditorium stage for more space, while the new classrooms were under construction.

“His old classroom had one entry and exit which is not good for a chemistry lab. He had a fume hood but it wasn’t vented well,” Lundstrom said.

The principal spoke glowingly about the progress at the high school, and he said overall, it felt like a normal first day.

At the elementary school level, first-graders at Crescent Harbor Elementary were nervous and excited, said parent TJ Pierzchala. Although there was a larger-than-expected number of transfers from Crescent Harbor this year, the classroom sizes were average. Pierzchala estimated about 22 to 23 children in her son’s class. She said teachers allowed parents to stay with their kids until they became comfortable.