ADAMS TWP - The Mars School Board will spend an estimated $5.6 million to build and furnish an addition to their newest school.

Board members voted at their Tuesday evening meeting to go ahead with the expansion of the Centennial School on Winfield Manor Drive.

Bob Marz of the district architect Roth Marz Partnership presented drawings for the 26,700-square-foot addition to the grades five and six school at the meeting.

The addition will include a 12-classroom, two-story addition on the west side of the building. The 21,000 square feet of additional classroom space also will include two restrooms and a staircase.

Three additional rooms could be used for small-group activities, storage or office space.

A 4,000-square-foot basement will be included in the addition for storage, but board president Kimberly Geyer suggested the heating and cooling units be placed in the new basement to accommodate any additional future growth.

The addition will sit at an angle instead of extending directly off the existing building to maintain the bus drop-off area. The addition will also have its own entrance.

Marz said a 3.5-foot incline from the bus lane up to the first floor level will necessitate a small set of stairs in the entrance. Marz designed the stairs on the addition’s interior to avoid having students navigate exterior stairs in the winter.

The cafeteria at the other end of the building also will be expanded to accommodate the additional students. Marz suggested pushing the existing kitchen out to the east and using that space for additional tables.

Marz said because food is not prepared at the school, the existing warming equipment can be moved to the new kitchen space.

The expansion will add 1,700 square feet of space to the cafeteria and kitchen.

The addition is necessary because increased enrollment in the district has caused crowding and larger class sizes in the school.

Additional parking will also be included in the project.

The board decided to move ahead with the project immediately to take advantage of a favorable construction market.

The board mainly wants to alleviate the crowded conditions at the school.

‘It’s not a luxury, it’s a necessity,” said board member Ross McConnell. “We need to look at it that way.”

Thomas and Williamson, the company which is also serving as construction manager for the upcoming addition to Mars Elementary school, also will serve as construction manager on the Centennial School project.

Board members in July approved the $3.5 million, eight-classroom expansion of the elementary school.

Pettigrew said he hopes to advertise for bids in March for the Centennial School project.

Bids on the elementary school addition will be advertised in December.