JAMESTOWN, PA. Bids for school project are higher

JAMESTOWN, Pa. -- Bids for the renovation and expansion of Jamestown High School came in higher than expected, but school officials said the cost to taxpayers won't be any higher.
Guy Brooks, school board president, said the interest rates for borrowing money are so favorable right now that the district can handle the additional expense and still live with the projected tax increases necessary to pay for it.
The board had been expecting a $7.5 million project, but Brooks said the bids came in at about $7.8 million.
Taxpayers in Mercer County had been told they would be facing property tax increases of 1.25 mills over a six-year period to pay for a project at that cost, while taxpayers living in the Crawford County portion of the district have been told to expect annual increases of 0.88 mills.
The lower interest rates mean the district will still be able to cover the $7.8 million project, Brooks said.
Some opposition
The project isn't without opposition.
The Jamestown Area Concerned Taxpayers, a group formed to protest the scope of the high school project, has asked the school board to eliminate adding a new gymnasium to the building, a move they said would cut $2.5 million from the cost.
Brooks said the board reviewed the bids at a work session Thursday and is expected to vote to award construction contracts at a special meeting at 8 p.m. Monday.
At this point, the board is looking at the complete project, which includes the new gym.
School officials have said the old gym is too small and falls below state recommendations for an athletic facility. It doubles as the high school auditorium and practice room.
The project also calls for the renovation of some classrooms, three new science labs, an expanded library, a new cafeteria and kitchen and building security improvements.