The Northeastern school board this week acted on several high-profile construction projects, including a proposed corridor to connect the district's high school and current middle school.

The board agreed to send out architect EI Associates' latest draft of the connector project for new bids. That draft dramatically scales back the scope of the original design.

The board also approved a $400,000 project to add seating to the high school stadium.

The connector is meant to help Northeastern take advantage of the existing middle school when its new one opens in East Manchester Township for the 2009-10 school year.

All bids for the project were unanimously rejected last month after the lowest among them came in at more than $1.6 million, a full $500,000 above the upper limit the board had set earlier.

The new design should cost the district an estimated $900,000, EI's Gary Bannon told the district in April.

The lone dissenter was board member William Gingerich, who declined to comment afterward except to say that his comments at earlier meetings still stand.

Gingerich has called EI's early drafts of the project "extravagant" and "serpentine," and he has questioned the need for an enclosed corridor, suggesting instead an open breezeway.

Stadium plans: The board voted 5-3 in favor of renovations to the high school stadium, which will host Northeastern's varsity football team at the district's first
PIAA-sanctioned home games this fall.

Under

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the plans passed this week, the district will boost its available seating from 1,000 to more than 2,400 and add risers behind the bleachers.

The board considered adding hand railings to the seating, but Gingerich pointed out that doing so would widen aisles and eliminate about 50 seats.

In a split vote, the board decided to build the seating without the railings for a total contract amount of $408,600.

Northeastern taxpayers should understand the renovations are not just for football, said board member Joseph Griffith.

The new seating will be used for a variety of district purposes, including other sports and school-wide functions, such as graduation.

Northeastern started its football program two years ago with a freshman team. Last year, Northeastern fielded a junior varsity school team.

Until Northeastern builds permanent bathrooms to complement the additional stadium capacity, the district will keep dozens of portable toilets on site throughout football season and at other times of year, said Superintendent Robert Tabachini Jr.

The exact number of toilets depends on whether Manchester Borough is willing to relax code restrictions, he said.

In other news: The board voted Monday to refinance much of its debt from general obligation bonds, refunding the $895,000 left from its 2001 series of bonds and just under $4 million of the $4.65 million in its 2002 series.

By refinancing, the district reduced its total debt service by about $101,000, said business manager Brian Geller.
-- Reach Peter Mergenthaler at news@yorkdispatch.com or 854-1575.