At a closed meeting May 20, the Penn Hills school board heard an updated proposal for reconfiguring and modernizing its facilities. The latest proposal reduces the cost from $137 million to $105 million.

The updated plan calls for a new high school to be built on the site that accommodates the current high school and the former Roberts Elementary School, which is used as the district administration building. Improved sports fields for soccer, softball and baseball also would occupy the site.

The high school site would include nature trails, three access points for cars and buses to enter the property, and one location solely for parents to drop off and pick up students. The estimated cost is $55 million to $58 million. Grade nine, now at the middle school, would be incorporated into the high school.

Linton Middle School would remain in its current location, with improvements to the building and the addition of grade five. The district plans to use a portion of $700,000 it received in federal stimulus funds to renovate the swimming pool and auditorium.

Federal stimulus funds may be used for modernization, renovation and repair, but not for new construction. The funds must be used within two years.

Two scenarios are being considered for the district's consolidated school for kindergarten through fourth grade. One plan would add a new building at the Linton site. The other plan connects a new building to the current Dible Elementary.

School officials said the plan using Dible is favored because it would allow available space on the Linton site to be used for other purposes in the future, such as athletic fields. New construction costs would be about $50 million.

Drawings of the proposed building are available on the district's web site, www.phsd.k12.pa.us.

School officials report that no local tax increase would be needed to fund the building plan and that the consolidation of facilities would save money over time. In addition to federal stimulus dollars, funds for the building plan would come from a bond issue and reimbursements from the state Department of Education.

Bonds are issued to raise money for a school district. A bond company would sell the bonds, which are purchased as investments for portfolios.

"The purpose of this plan is to provide the best facilities for our children while allowing Penn Hills to be a more affordable place to live," said district spokeswoman Teresita Kolenchak on the district's Web site.

The public can hear a presentation of the plan at the regular school board meeting at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Linton School auditorium. The school board will vote on the plan at its June 25 meeting.

If the plan is approved, the high school and elementary buildings could be completed by September 2012.