CROWN POINT | With three weeks left before school opens, contractors gave school leaders an update on the progress of work at Crown Point High School, Eisenhower Elementary and smaller renovation projects at other elementary school buildings.

Dion Katsouros, the project manager with The Skillman Corp. who is overseeing the high school project, said workers will be able to move furniture into the expanded cafeteria in a couple of weeks. He told School Board members Tuesday that contractors are working on light fixtures and other interior work.

The cafeteria is part of a major project costing the district $45 million. The work will expand the high school's capacity from 2,200 to 2,800 students.

The work also includes doubling the size of Eisenhower to hold as many as 600 students, though that work won't be finished until next year.

Stu Franzen, project manager for The Skillman Corp. who is overseeing the work at Eisenhower, said drywall is going up on the east side of the building and the new outside work has blended in well with the existing exterior of the building.

Franzen said the new lockers at Lake Street Elementary School have been installed, and the administrative area and several classrooms have been painted and carpeted.

In other business, Jim Hardman, director of curriculum, presented a detailed report on the academic status of the school corporation.

Hardman compared Crown Point schools with 15 other school corporations in the state that are similar in size, demographics and academics to Crown Point. Among those corporations were four local ones -- Duneland, Lake Central, Munster and Valparaiso schools.

Hardman said the districts have common issues, needs and populations. Hardman looked at data from 2003 to 2007. According to his research, Crown Point fares well when compared with the other districts, and in some areas, such as the number of students enrolled in vocational programs and the number of students who take Advanced Placement classes, Crown Point excelled, he said.