A proposed elementary center will take center stage during a public hearing Tuesday night, but plans to renovate Lehighton Area School District's middle and high schools are also moving forward.

During a district workshop meeting this week, Superintendent Jonathan Cleaver said construction documents are more than 75 percent completed for the projects.Estimates Lehighton submitted to the state were a base cost of $10.92 million for the middle school and $9.4 million for the high school.A number of alternates were listed for both projects, and if all were selected, the estimates jump to $11.8 million at the middle school and $11.55 million at the high school.Estimates include Alternative and Clean Energy Program grants for both projects. Lehighton received $1.45 million for the middle school and $1.065 million for the high school."We're moving forward with the schedule, and the hope is that we can issue our code review the week of March 30 and vote on PlanCon, Part F, on April 27 for both projects," Cleaver said.PlanCon is the process allowing the district to get partial reimbursement from the state for large construction projects. Part F deals strictly with construction documents and includes a review of the bid specifications and drawings for the project. It also includes documentation that other state and local agency requirements have been or will be met before entering into construction contracts. State approval of Part F authorizes a district to receive bids and enter into construction contracts."We have met with a borough code official from Lehighton and for both projects it seems we'll just need a building permit," Cleaver said."We're not looking to change an electrical system or anything like that."The middle school project includes a roof replacement, mechanical system overhaul, a secured building entrance, and exterior window and door replacement, among other improvements.Alternates for the project include double-tier lockers, new auditorium seats, a student dining patio, replacement casework in the science laboratories, and new rigging, lighting and sound equipment in the auditorium.Work at the high school includes a mechanical system overhaul, exterior facade improvements, a secure entrance, plumbing electrical upgrades and lighting upgrades.Alternates include an auditorium acoustical treatment, a metal roof replacement, snow guard replacement for the roof, selective flooring replacement, and a wrestling and weight room in the auxiliary gym."We met with a door hardware consultant," Cleaver told the board on Monday."Doing a project like this gives us a chance to redo our locks, and there are several different kinds of ideas. There is the more secure option of locking the door from the inside of the classroom, which has its pros and cons. Every time someone goes to the bathroom and comes back, someone would have to let them in. It's a 50-50 mix."Cleaver said Lehighton is getting a list of schools for each different type of lock to find the "good, bad and the ugly" about each one.In October, Lehighton gave approvals for $8.45 million in low-interest Qualified Zone Academy Bonds it was awarded from the state, a $10 million bank loan and $5 million in bank bonds.Lehighton business manager Brian Feick said Monday that the district also plans on applying for a QZAB to help lower the cost of the high school project.