BUFFALO TWP — The Freeport School Board narrowed its choices Wednesday night to two options for reconfiguring the junior and senior high schools.

With a new building included in the mix, preliminary cost estimates are at $66 million to $68 million, with up to $10 million reimbursed by the state Department of Education.

Wednesday’s meeting was the board’s second with J. Greer Hayden of HHSDR Architects and Engineers, which has offices in Pittsburgh and Sharon.

In September, the board agreed to close Freeport Junior High School because of the cost of repairs it needs. It was built in 1924.

On Wednesday board members agreed to eliminate football stadium improvements and other outdoor athletic facilities from the building plans. It also took renovation or expansion of the administration building off the table.

But board members were less certain about what to do with the Freeport Kindergarten Center in Freeport Borough, which is only in “fair” condition, Hayden said. Minimal improvements would run $198,000, mainly to create a secure entrance and to replace the center’s 1953 boiler. The costs are not reimbursable.

A major stumbling block for all the building projects is the district’s existing debt. As of Aug. 1, the district will have $15.9 million, which is not scheduled to be paid off until August 2019, the start of the 2019-20 school year.

The debt reduces the amount the district can borrow without a public referendum to about $34 million. The district’s borrowing base is calculated on its enrollment, and is capped at $50 million, William Reilly, district business manager, said.

As a result, the board asked Hayden to find ways to maximize state reimbursement for the projects. Board members said the district may have to complete projects in phases, which would reduce the amount of disruption on campus, Mark Shoaf, board president, said.

“We are not doing this just for aesthetics, we are driven by the desire to stay competitive, to offer a quality education,” Shoaf said.

He expressed concern that a deteriorating school system would hurt the community, driving down home values.

In addition to kindergarten center repairs, the board asked for more exact costs to build a new high school on its Buffalo Township campus.

Under one scenario, the current high school would become the junior high school, housing students in grades six through eight.

The building would need some mechanical, electrical, plumbing and sewage system upgrades, Hayden said.

In addition, a new senior high school would be built.

Total costs of the projects are projected to be $68.5 million. With an estimated $10.2 million reimbursement from the state education department, the cost to the district falls to $58.3 million.

Alternatively, the school may build a new junior-senior high school, perhaps in phases, running about $66 million. With an estimated $9 million reimbursement from the state, the cost falls to $57 million.

The board requested that Hayden provide the cost of building common areas of the school, along with costs for just its junior high school classroom wing and just the senior high school classroom wing.

Students would share an auditorium and two gymnasiums at the junior-senior high school.

A third meeting between the architect and the board is expected to take place within a month, but was not scheduled.

Although these meetings are open to the public, one spectator expressed dismay that no public input is being asked for now since there is no set time for the public to speak.

Board members said they first need to determine which option they believe is most viable. It will be presented to the public at that time, Shoaf said.