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GIRARD -- The board of education soon will seek bids for a proposed performing arts center to be connected to the high school building.
Board President Mark Zuppo said bids will be sought after Axiom Architects LLC of Youngstown, project architects, finalize information.
Zuppo said the board will not be asking for any levy money to pay for the center.
"We want to make it clear that we will not be asking the public for any money for this project. If the bids come in too high, we will go back to the drawing board. There will be no levy," Zuppo said.
The facility would include a performing arts center with a 950-seat auditorium, other rooms and a new parking lot. The building project also will incorporate the construction of the new board of education offices to be located at the Shannon Road location.
Current board offices are located on second floor of the Girard city building.
Board members have said the center would be used for student performances and school events, such as graduation and award assemblies. Discussion on the project has been held for several years but was put on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Officials have said the performing arts center and new board administration offices are set to be completed before the start of the 2024-25 school year.
A groundbreaking is planned for early summer.
John Orsini with Axiom Architects has discussed with the board that the project would include a performing arts center with the auditorium, music classrooms, stage area, changing rooms, storage area and practice rooms to the northwest corner of the current high school and junior high.
The new school board offices with an administrative section would be located in the northwest corner of the property.
Bill Cook, project architect, said the planned band room would be 1,800 square feet for more than 65 students and a choir room will have 1,300 square feet for 45 to 50 students.
School officials have said the high school cafetorium, which has a stage, is limited on seating for events. Graduations and other functions have been moved to the gymnasium.
School officials said the complex doesn't have enough room to house all the students at once in the cafetorium, which prompted them to consider building a new auditorium.
Treasurer Mark Bello has been able to watch finances in recent years and during the pandemic, and the funding is in place. He said school district officials will be able to determine the final project cost after the bids come in and are reviewed.
Officials said construction companies need to get the materials, so it is hard to determine what the final cost will be.
SUMMER PAVING
In other business, Treasurer Mark Bello said bids are expected to be sought in early May for the paving and improvements of parking lots at the district's three building campuses, football stadium and the bus garage.
He said the major project will be done over the summer.
The board:
• Set graduation for 1 p.m. May 21 at the high school;
• Hired Mara Wilson as a sixth-grade teacher for the remainder of the school year;
• Accepted the resignation of fourth-grade teacher Kristin Gorse, effective Aug. 15;
• Approved an agreement with the Youngstown Mahoning United Way for the United Way Success By 6 initiative to be offered to children this summer.