Dunedin High School is getting a nearly $7 million auditorium overhaul after the Pinellas County School Board approved a construction contract for the project Sept. 22.

The board voted 6-0 to approve a $6,913,965 construction allocation to A.D. Morgan Corp. for the auditorium remodel and renovations, according to board meeting minutes. The contract sets a guaranteed maximum price of $6,923,430 for the work, designated Project No. 9499.

Contract passed without board discussion

The item passed on the consent agenda with no recorded discussion. Board members Katie Blaxberg, Lisa Cane, Caprice Edmond, Laura Hine, Eileen Long and Dawn Peters all voted yes. Board member Stephanie Meyer was absent.

The scope of the remodel has not been publicly detailed. The board minutes do not describe what the renovation will include, and no board member or school official commented on the project during the meeting.

Auditorium spending comes amid school closure debate

The approval comes as the district weighs closing seven schools to save roughly $25 million. At the same meeting, Superintendent Kevin Hendrick said 45 schools are operating below 60% capacity.

"It remains my strong recommendation that closures and consolidations must be considered for the district to maintain its financial health," Hendrick said at the Sept. 22 meeting, as first reported by Bay News 9.

Dunedin High stands apart from those struggling schools. The school is running at over 80% capacity, according to Patch, even as the district sheds thousands of students.

The seven schools on the closure list are Bear Creek Elementary, Azalea Elementary, Blanton Elementary, Lealman Innovation Academy, Sexton Elementary, Kings Highway Elementary Magnet and Tarpon Springs Fundamental.

Board ratifies teacher pay agreement

At the same meeting, the board ratified a tentative agreement with the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association by a 6-0 vote. That item was taken up separately from the consent agenda.

Under the tentative agreement first announced in August, teachers with 10 or more years of experience would receive raises of just under $3,000 per year. Teachers with fewer than 10 years would receive just above $2,500 more per year, TampaBay28 reported. Health insurance costs also shift under the deal, with family-plan employees paying about $475 per paycheck and individual employees paying $111, a $10 increase from the prior year.

The board is scheduled to hold a workshop on the school closure proposals Oct. 6 at the administration building in Largo. A final vote on closures is scheduled for Oct. 13.