North Thurston Public Schools (NTPS) celebrated the end of renovations to the Raj Manhas Activity Center (RMAC) in Olympia with a ribbon cutting on Tuesday.
The facility is one of three being modernized with funds from a $275.2 million bond measure approved by voters in 2020.
“We are very proud of this beautiful facility, and thanks to voter support, it will provide high quality education and recreation opportunities for our students, families and community for years to come,” said NTPS Superintendent Troy Baker.
The project modernized the south end of the RMAC to accommodate Ignite Family Academy, the NTPS Family and Youth Resource Center and the South Sound Reading Foundation, as well as NTPS student records and archives.
Ignite Family Academy is an at-home learning partnership program that is part of NTPS and currently enrolls about 130 students in grades K-8. It was previously housed in the Bower Learning Center in Lacey.
South Sound Reading Foundation is an affiliate of the Children’s Reading Foundation that provides free books and childhood literacy resources to young readers in the region. It moved to a warehouse in 2024 when construction began, and is now back at the RMAC with a modernized space.
The NTPS Family and Youth Resource Center is a place for NTPS families and students to find support and resources, including clothing, school supplies and hygiene products. Staff can also help facilitate access to community resources, with the Resource Center serving as a “one-stop destination” for students and families in need of assistance.
NTPS first opened the Resource Center in 2020.
“It's thanks to voter support that we are here today to celebrate on behalf of the North Thurston Public School Board,” said NTPS School Board President Esperanza Badillo-Diiorio. “Thank you to our community for prioritizing excellent public schools and family support.”
The 2020 ballot measure authorized North Thurston Public Schools to borrow up to $275.2 million in bonds to fund renovations at RMAC, River Ridge High School and Komachin Middle School. The last chunk of those bonds, $65.2 million worth, was finalized in June 2025.
Renovations at Komachin Middle School — which included rebuilding the front office, library and commons area, expanding the gym, adding a new classroom wing, improving the outdoor play area, reseeding the irrigated sports field, adding a new bus loop and improving the secure entrance — were completed in the summer of 2024.
River Ridge High School is the last facility to be modernized, with work starting in July 2022 and expected to finish in 2027.
