The Ministry of Education has called for tenders to develop the Otago Girls' High School music department to the tune of nearly $2 million.
Principal Linda Miller said there were two components to the project.
The first involves the upgrading and extension of the existing music suite and the second involves building a new stair and lift access tower that would provide entry from the Visual and Performing Arts Centre on the ground floor, to the three levels of the school's Siedeberg Block.
''The aim is to provide a state-of-the-art music suite which will have provision for sound recording, practice spaces and a whole range of different configurations of rooming to allow usage from solo performing to large ensemble groups, to perform and record.
''It will be a modern learning environment.''
Ms Miller said the music suite was ''a pretty tired part of the school'' and was long overdue for the $1.9 million refurbishment.
About four years ago the school upgraded its textiles and food technology rooms.
But this project was more extensive and would involve an extension out over the space between the Visual and Performing Arts Centre and Siedeberg Block, she said.
Construction was expected to begin in December and it was hoped the work would be completed by July next year.
Ms Miller said the project would cause disruption to the school's operations because classrooms in the construction zone could not be used during the build.
However, she was confident the school could work around the challenges.
''We're waiting until we have a programme of works to know exactly what we'll need to do in terms of relocating classes.
''We're hoping to get all the noisy, heavy earthworks done during the school holidays.''
