JACKSON TWP — Seneca Valley School District will spend the next month drawing up what an intermediate school and performing arts center addition, at a nine-figure cost, could look like.

The district’s school board unanimously approved moving forward with project preparations at its Monday, Aug. 11, meeting, and will hold a public hearing on its project plans at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 8, in the intermediate school auditorium.

The board revealed the extent of the project Aug. 4. The maximum price tag is $114.65 million for building construction. Considering the scope of the entire project, that maximum cost goes up to $165.89 million.

“This is certainly meant to be an upgrade for the intermediate high school, for the spaces they need on that nine through 12 level,” John Pappas of Eckles Construction Services said Monday. “Those buildings will be connected, there are programs and new spaces that will be used by both buildings, in addition to a real auditorium to hold more students. Because currently, the auditorium is for a district a size significantly smaller than what they need.”

The main aspect of the project proposal is a three-story academic classroom facility that would connect the senior high school to district offices and the intermediate high school. A portion of the existing intermediate high school would be razed in the process. The second part of the proposal is the performing arts center, which will go in after the other new addition gets built. It will be attached to the intermediate building.

Pappas previously said anticipated groundbreaking for the project is around February 2026, with a final completion likely to be around fall 2030.

The process is taking place under Act 34, a law that mandates public hearings and cost limits for certain school projects.

School board President Eric DiTullio said during the meeting the approval also includes advertising the hearing, sharing information of project plans to the public and submitting additional required information to the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Though specifics haven’t been revealed yet, Pappas said plans actually are “pretty fully developed” up to this point. The hearing will include elements like a presentation of architect plans, what buildings might look like and how financing to pay for the project would work.

“The hearing will be specific to the project and specific to the scope of the project, cost of the project, and the financing and why the project is needed,” Pappas said.