The Pine-Richland school board Tuesday night awarded $26.8 million in contracts to nine companies to expand and renovate its crowded high school on Warrendale Road in Pine.

The expansion is expected to be ready for the 2012-13 school year.

The cost of the project will be about $32 million to $33 million once "soft costs" are added, said Robert G. Naugle, a principal with Eckles Architecture and Engineering.

He explained soft costs include architect and construction manager fees, insurance, furniture and financing costs.

Kusevich Construction of Etna was awarded the $15.2 million contract for general construction. Board members also awarded these contracts:

• $3.4 million for HVAC to A.J. Demor & Sons of Monroeville.

• $1.8 million for plumbing/ fire suppression to Enders Plumbing & Heating of Kittanning.

• $2.8 million for electrical to Blackhawk Neff of New Castle.

• $1.8 million for technology to Horizon Information Systems of Glenshaw.

• $556,900 for food service equipment to Commercial Appliance of Grove City.

• $753,000 for architectural casework to Reed Associates of Harleysville.

• $278,300 for technical education equipment to Midwest Technology Products of Sioux City, Iowa.

• $344,000 for landscaping to Executive Landscaping Inc. of Vienna, Ohio.

The district received bids from 55 companies.

The bulk of the construction project involves the addition of a wing for science, technology, engineering and math classrooms. The art department also will be moved there.

The school's crowded cafeteria will be expanded into what is now the guidance department's space. Guidance will move into the administrative area at the front of the school, which will be enlarged.

Renovation plans also call for the building's roof to be replaced, for the music department's space to be renovated and expanded and for the large group instruction room to get new furniture and technological improvements.

Site lighting and surveillance equipment will be upgraded throughout the campus.

Construction will begin first on the science/technology addition at the northwest side of the school. Parking spaces will be at a premium as construction equipment moves in.

Classroom assignments will not be affected immediately by that construction. When the renovation work begins, however, classes will be adjusted. A time line or plan for that has not been determined.

The last construction project was Eden Hall Upper Elementary School in Richland. That $43 million state-of-the-art facility opened in 2008.