The Moon Area school board Monday night approved on a split vote the final round of borrowing for its high school/middle school project, a $31 million bond issue that will increase the district's total debt to $129 million.

The board also acknowledged the pending resignation of a staunch opponent of the spending. Board member Michael Nagy, elected in November, is moving out of the district due to a career change, and announced that he will resign Aug. 31.

Mr. Nagy campaigned as a critic of the building/renovation plan, and has in his nine months on the board consistently voted against each aspect of the plan. He voted against the bond issue Monday night.

But he struck a conciliatory note in leaving, calling the board a "good group of people" doing what they believe to be right, even if he often disagreed.

"I know the direction we're going is right, even if I'm still foggy on how we're getting there," he said.

That direction includes the ongoing construction of a new high school, which is scheduled to open in January behind the current middle school. The current high school will undergo a renovation/addition project, converting it into a middle school. When that is done, the current middle school will be razed.

Sandra McCurdy and Jeff Bussard joined Mr. Nagy in voting against the bond issue. Both advocated waiting and seeking more proposals, to compete with the service of bond consultant Joe Muscatello.

Others, however, thought it wise to move forward with interest rates at low levels.

The bond sale will take place in the near future, when Mr. Muscatello believes the market is the most optimal, with the agreement of Superintendent Donna Milanovich, business manager Al Bennett and board president Mark Scappe.

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