As with its peers in Penn-Trafford, the Norwin school board is moving forward with plans to replace the artificial turf and to resurface the running track in its stadium.

Hempfield Area, which is planning to replace the turf in Spartan Stadium, showed interest in participating in the bidding in a three-district effort to keep costs down. Hempfield, however, did not participate in the process, which drew nine bidders.

Hempfield hired a consultant to assist with the turf-replacement project.

"The district still hasn't received specifications for the turf-replacement project for board review," Business Manager Jude Abraham said. "So the board is not ready to advertise for bids. We hope to do that in April."

By choosing Sportexe as the contractor for their projects, Penn-Trafford and Norwin each will realize a $7,300 savings.

At a workshop meeting Monday night, Norwin directors decided to accept a $534,459 bid to replace the artificial turf and upgrade the all-weather track in Knights Stadium.

The directors are expected to award the contract on Monday night to the Texas-based company, whose bid was the lowest among the nine.

The base cost of replacing the turf and resurfacing the track is $424,779, noted district architect Hank Tkacik, of Axis Architecture, who also developed specifications for Penn-Trafford.

The board, however, elected to spend an additional $109,680 to upgrade the track as recommended by the boys' varsity head track coach Trinity Morgan, who attended the workshop meeting.

"Our running track gets a tremendous amount of use," said board President Robert Perkins. "So it makes sense to select a surface that will hold up."

"Taxpayers may question the cost for the track," Director Tom Sturm added. "But Norwin's is an eight-lane track. Most other schools, like Penn-Trafford, have six. ... The board selected a sturdier, stronger underlay."

Mr. Tkacik said both turf projects would start in June. He projected a completion date of "late summer."

Also on Monday, Norwin Superintendent Jack Boylan offered directors options to consider to make up an eighth snow day so the district will not have to move graduation.

One option is adding a week to the school year, which would make June 11 the last day.

The district may ask the state Department of Education to drop the requirement to make up that final day, Dr. Boylan said.

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