BAINBRIDGE – The Bainbridge Island School District closed two of the oldest tennis courts at Bainbridge High School Sunday, March 1.

The courts will remain closed through the summer, and all six high school courts will close from June 1 through Sept. 1 for resurfacing and comprehensive upgrades, according to an announcement made Monday.

“In an effort to prolong the use of our tennis courts, last March, the district hired a court resurfacing firm to repair major cracks,” said Tamela VanWinkle, director of capital projects for the school district. “This enabled safe, continuous play throughout BHS’s 2014 tennis season, but the rainy winter has contributed to further deterioration.

“All of our courts need resurfacing,” she added. “The weather does not permit resurfacing at this time, so we’ve closed the two southwest courts that are unsafe due to cracks and surface depressions.”

While two courts are closed, the other four will remain open until June 1.

The two northwest courts and the two upper courts to the east are in playable condition, although they, too, show signs of age and the need for improvements, according to the district.

Court upgrades will include new fencing and netting, improvements to the asphalt substrate, new acrylic court surfacing, new net posts, nets and center court tie downs as well as expanded space for spectators.

The district will resurface the upper courts concurrently with the lower, thus giving the courts a matching finish and placing them all on the same replacement and maintenance schedule.

The lower courts will also gain additional pedestrian access.

“We are so grateful to the community for the support that enables us to make these major improvements to our facilities,” VanWinkle said. “We know closing courts for the summer will be challenging, but are confident the new court surfaces and other upgrades will be worth the wait.”