Slippery Rock Area School District is moving forward with a nearly $30 million renovation and expansion project that will affect both the middle and high school buildings.

The school board approved contracts for middle school and high school construction projects at a Monday, Sept. 11, meeting.

The projects, which include an updated cafeteria and a new secure building entrance at the high school, are expected to begin sometime in the summer of 2024, but much work will be completed in the summers of 2025 and 2026.

“Currently, in all of our buildings except the high school, we have a secure entrance,” superintendent Alfonso Angelucci said.

The construction of a secure building entrance will cost the district about $25 million.

At this time, Angelucci said the high school has an entrance with a couple armed security guards that monitor visitors.

“We want to update that,” he said.

A secure building entrance would be one in which there is a call station for security to buzz visitors in, he said. Once visitors are buzzed into the building, they would remain in a secure place before they would be allowed access to the main office, Angelucci added.

As part of the high school construction projects, the cafeteria also will be renovated.

“It’s more just to adequately space our students, and to provide a better atmosphere for dining purposes,” Angelucci said.

Additionally, the district named ventilation updates, and expansion of the high school’s music area as part of the renovation projects.

Expanding the music area will involve relocating the music, band and choral rooms in closer proximity to the auditorium and stage for improved programming.

“We’re hoping to make things more efficient,” Angelucci said.

Construction within the middle school will cost between $4 million and $5 million and will involve updating and replacing ventilation equipment and addressing roof concerns.

According to Angelucci, the middle school projects will be partially funded by Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds.