“We received confirmation from the state that the funding has been approved,” the superintendent said. “We are not allowed to release the amount, they want to do that, but I can say that the state’s portion is more generous than we expected.”

                While Green won’t spill the beans, the math is fairly basic. The high school board, through its contractor Holland Construction, estimated the new school to cost between $15.5 million and $16 million. The state revised those figures upward to $19 million. The district’s grant index (how much the state will pay for the project) is about 75 percent meaning Illinois will fund all but $4.75 million of the project. The district will issue health, life and safety bonds to cover its share.

                The source of the money is fees the state has collected including from the sale of license plates. It is not to be confused with the $250,000 the state owes the district. That is from a different fund.

                “This money has already been collected. It’s not a promise to pay,” Green said.

                So what does Pinckneyville get for $19 million? That is still to be revealed. Currently, all Green has is a “footprint” and basic concept. The whistles and bells are being added now that the board knows what the state is chipping in.

                “What we have designed now is the footprint and what the HVAC and plumbing will look like,” Green said. “Holland and its team is now taking the numbers and applying cost estimates to the remainder of the project.”

                But even in raw form, Green knows that a “cafetorium” will be attached to the west end of Thomas Gym and a second gym (to serve also for assemblies and other group functions) will connect with it to the north. The new building will include an auditorium and 2-3 extra classrooms than the old building. Thomas Gym will be outfitted with its own HVAC system (it currently feeds off the existing building) and an eight-lane; all weather track will be installed. Overall, the project will encompass 56,000 square feet; about the same as the existing building.

                The football field and track will be moved to the east, displacing the parking lot between the high school and junior high school. The new buildings will fringe closer to Water Street and Panther Drive. The existing structure will be razed to make room for a parking lot.

                Green said Panther Drive will have to be reconfigured and that it will be closed to all but local traffic sometime in the late summer of 2011. He expects construction to begin in March 2011 with a 14 month-18 month project duration.

                Green said the board has been working on this project for more than four years.

                “It has done its due diligence and been very open about its plans,” he said.

                That is in stark contrast to when a previous board tried to build a new school in the late 1990s. It was a very contentious situation then with the board pushing hard for a new school offsite. While three proposals were offered to the public – an offsite build, renovation of existing structure or adding on to existing property – the board all but dismissed the latter two options in favor of the offsite plan. The public flatly rejected it.

                Green said it is long past time to retire the existing 80-plus-year-old building.

                “When you can pull a brick out of the wall and six more fall, it’s a matter of safety,” he said.

                Green added that the new building will allow the district to become up to date with today’s technological advances. Wireless internet connections will be available (the walls are too thick in the existing building to accommodate this) and all students will be issued laptop computers.

                “Our students deserve this,” he said.