The Tyrone Area school board took the first of many steps to advance the proposed expansion and renovation at the middle school/high school building at its Tuesday night meeting.
The board approved the submission of “Plancon A,” to the state Department of Education. The project was announced earlier this year and would include an addition to the school that would mean an increase of 25 percent in the building’s square footage. The move would allow the transfer of fifth grade to join the sixth, seventh and eighth grades at the middle school.
The project will cost between $9.2 million and $10.4 million. The district will qualify for a reimbursement from the state in an amount between $1.7 million and $1.8 million. This would leave the local share of the project anywhere from $7.4 million to $8.6 million.
“The project came in millions of dollars less than what was projected,” Superintendent William N. Miller told the Daily Herald after last night’s meeting. “We won’t know the cost of the actual project until we get the bids. This is only the first step to get approved.”
Miller indicated the paperwork would be in Harrisburg by the end of next week.
After initial approval of the project justification by state officials, the district will, by law, be required to hold an Act 34 public hearing. The hearing is necessary because the proposed project has an increase in space of 25 percent. Act 34 is also known as the “Taj Mahal Act” which was designed to prevent school districts from embarking on mass renovation and addition projects without public input.
Dr. Miller pointed out in response to public concern on the project that the district plans on paying for the project on a cash basis and would not have to borrow any money. Miller said this is very rare with these types of projects in Pennsylvania.
According to Miller, the project should go out for bid in August or September of next year. He indicated the project would be completed sometime in 2006.
