The Bethel Park school board took the next step toward repairing some of its buildings by voting to authorize the architect to prepare bid documents to put small additions on several of the elementary schools and get rid of its modular classrooms.

Board members said the work, which is estimated to cost $5.5 million, would come without a tax increase.

At its regular meeting Nov. 29, the board voted 8-0, with Charles Koch absent, to authorize the preparation of documents for an estimated $3 million in projects to include:

Roof replacements at Abraham Lincoln, Bethel Memorial and William Penn elementary schools, and lobby refurbishments at Independence Middle School and Washington Elementary School.

Foundation drains at Memorial, Benjamin Franklin and Neil Armstrong Middle School and foundation repair at Memorial.

A gymnasium wall repair at Franklin.

Mechanical upgrades at William Penn and electrical work at Neil Armstrong.

The board voted 7-1 to approve replacement of the modular classrooms at Lincoln, Memorial and Franklin, with small additions at Lincoln and Memorial and a reconfiguration to add classrooms at Franklin.

That plan would call for some minor redistricting at those schools, but it would keep the kindergarten through fourth grade configuration and keep class size at 22 to 23 pupils. The estimated project cost is $2.5 million.

Board member David Amaditz dissented. Although he agreed that the modular classrooms had to be removed, he said he preferred to wait until the project could be considered along with the potential building project at the high school.

Also at the meeting, the local tax study committee suggested an option for the required state May referendum for school districts. Its nonbinding suggestion was that the board allow a homestead exemption for school tax purposes of $24,804, which means that amount would be deducted from a property's assessed value before the tax bill is calculated. In exchange, the earned income tax could be raised from 0.5 percent to 1.5 percent.

Under that configuration, households with a combined income of less than $56,400 would pay less in taxes and those who earn more would pay more in taxes, according to Russell Spicuzza, a tax committee member.

The board must vote on the options for the referendum by March and the item will appear on the May ballot. If the voters defeat it, the tax allocation would not change.

If it is approved, amounts would have to be recalculated each year to allow for any slot machine revenue the district receives.