After years of debate, the South Fayette school board has taken action to build an intermediate school for grades three to five.

In a 9-0 vote last week, school directors approved a contract with Eckles Architecture & Engineering of New Castle to design it, and adopted a resolution of intent to accept nearly $16.9 million in stimulus financing to help build what may be a two-story, 110,000-square-foot school for about 720 students behind the high school. No projected dates were given on construction start or school opening, but stimulus money must be spent within three years of receipt.

The action was taken at the board's July 20 meeting. On Aug. 17, the board is to consider a resolution to incur the debt.

"Once we commit to it, we have to spend it," board President William Newcomer said later. "I'm confident we will be going forward with [construction], and we will be starting as soon as we possibly can."

The architect's fee will be 6 percent of the cost of construction, estimated at $30 million.

If formally accepted, the $16.9 million allocation from the Qualified School Construction Bond program will partly fund the building project. The structure of the stimulus program means the district will have to pay back about $13.1 million.

"[That] is hard to turn down," Mr. Newcomer said. South Fayette will have to borrow the balance, which will raise the property tax rate an estimated 1.64 mills, he said. Owners of a home valued at $100,000 would pay $164 more in property taxes, phased in over time.

At the July 20 board meeting, superintendent Bille Rondinelli said 1,032 students in kindergarten through fourth grade are registered to attend the elementary school this year, including some new pupils from the Newbury development.

A new intermediate school would alleviate crowding and offer updated facilities, which some parents advocate.

Nick Gigante, a parent of two children, said he moved from Mt. Lebanon to South Fayette two years ago, lured by the quality of the school district.

He submitted a petition supporting a bond issue to build the intermediate school, signed by a couple dozen residents of Parkes Farm Estates.

"We realize that [a new school] means, likely, higher taxes," Mr. Gigante said.

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