A proposed renovation project in Lehighton Area School District got slightly cheaper last week.

Superintendent Jonathan Cleaver announced the district has been awarded an $8,499,000 interest-free bond through the federal Qualified Zone Academy Bond (QZAB) program.“It’s great because we can save the money we would have paid on interest over the life of a bond,” Cleaver said. “We can only use the funds for our middle school renovation.”Lehighton is currently discussing different ways to finance three building projects including a $10.7 million middle school renovation, $9.3 million high school renovation and a $32.5 million new elementary center to house all K-5 students.“The bond can’t be used for new construction and we didn’t qualify for any QZAB money at the high school because our percentage of students who receive free and reduced lunch was not high enough,” Cleaver said.In order to qualify, at least 35 percent of a school's students must be enrolled in the free or reduced lunch program.At Lehighton Middle School, 44 percent of students are enrolled, while only 32.7 percent are enrolled at Lehighton Area High School.“We fell just 16 students short at the high school,” Feick said.For more information, read Monday's Times News.