A multimillion-dollar project to improve Jim Thorpe’s Olympian Stadium will be nearly complete in time for next month’s graduation ceremony.

A contractor is laying down a new all-weather track around the turf field which was completed last fall.

The new track is expected to be completed June 12. Graduation takes place June 11, but the bulk of the work will be completed in time, according to Superintendent John Rushefski.

“It’s going very well. We’re happy with the work Grace Industries has been doing,” Rushefski said.

In April, Grace paved the track area and the entrance to the stadium. After waiting four weeks for the asphalt to cure, they started work on the black rubber base of the track. When that is complete, they will add ground-up tires, which give the surface grip. The final step is a layer of sealer which will protect the track and give it the familiar red color of all-weather tracks.

The original cost of the track project was $506,887. The board has approved approximately $60,000 in change orders for the project. The change orders were to improve drainage outside of the stadium concession stand.

The new artificial turf field, completed last October, cost about $2.2 million. It was completed by Keystone Sports Construction. The turf included replacing the existing grass field which was prone to flooding, and replacing the stadium lights. The new lighting system is more energy efficient and eliminated an unsightly pole at the 50-yard line.

Rushefski said that the new field has handled heavy rainstorms well.

“We’re keeping an eye out for it, everything giving a positive perspective that the job was done correctly,” he said.

School board members favored the new field because it would allow the stadium to host many more scholastic and club sporting events each year. The old field was limited to fewer than a dozen games per year because the district didn’t want it to be destroyed during muddy conditions.

The June 11 graduation ceremony will be the first major event inside the completed stadium. Graduates will be seated on the field, with the stadium at 50 percent capacity in compliance with state guidelines.

The district will put padding on the base of the graduates’ chairs to protect the field surface, and high heels are prohibited.

Plans for allowing the public to use the stadium are still being determined. Rushefski said that it is the district’s wish to allow the public to use the new track, like it did for the old track that it replaced. But they also want to prevent any vandalism to the nearly $3 million project.

“That is the plan but we need to make sure we protect our investment, protect the taxpayers’ investment,” he said.

The track may not be the last phase of the project. The school board is considering purchasing a new gate that will improve the entrance to the stadium.