A public workshop will be held at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Palmerton Area School District's proposed $21 million districtwide renovation project.

Superintendent Scot Engler said the workshop is "basically going to be an overview of the entire proposed facilities project, from the details of the project to the financing.""The majority of the comments (received) have been overwhelmingly supportive of the project," Engler said. "We would encourage the community to come out; we want to hear their thoughts."Engler said the workshop will be "a review of everything we've been discussing since November."The project would include expansion of the district's junior high school, complete with its own cafeteria and kitchen, a multipurpose turf field and air-conditioned classrooms.The district is considering several finance options.Engler said the administration believes the best option would be to borrow $15 million, while restructuring its 2010A and 2012 series bonds.The district's annual debt service would be $1.787 million, which would represent an annual increase of about $160,000 over the course of 25 years. Total debt would be $44.5 million.However, Engler said, "There's another possible option we'll be looking into."Business manager Matt Sawarynski said the district's current debt service is $1.650 million per year.The proposal calls for a $13 million junior high school expansion that would create a cafeteria solely for the junior high. Currently, the district runs grades seven through 12 lunches in its high school cafeteria. The district's options are limited for scheduling lunches and classes.Creation of a media center and television studio, new computer space and a series of offices are also listed in the project.A state-of-the-art multipurpose turf field would cost $2.4 million, and be located at the current football field and track site at the high school stadium.Bleachers would have to be added, and storm water and parking issues would have to be addressed.The project would install chillers and replace unit vent heaters at the high school, Towamensing Elementary School, and S.S. Palmer Elementary, and call for safety and security improvements districtwide.If the district were to approve the project, construction wouldn't take place for about two years.Michael Kelly, an architect with KCBA Architects of Hatfield, presented an anticipated timeline for the project.The design phase would be from July through November, with construction documents drawn from December through February 2016.Contracts could be bid between March-April 2016. Construction would begin in June or July 2017.