Six months of haggling between the Norwin school board and administration over the cost of renovating the district administration building has ended.

Directors approved the project, estimated at $1.3 million, by a 7-2 vote Monday night.

It was the 13th plan considered over those six months, with cost estimates ranging from $835,000 to $2.3 million.

Voting in favor of the project were board President Robert Perkins, Becky Gediminskas, Jeffrey Rutkowski, Dennis Rittenhouse, Del Dolphi Jr., Casey Harper and Ronald Giuliana.

Tom Sturm and Don Rhodes dissented.

Mr. Sturm has openly criticized the scope and projected costs of renovating the 22-year-old building on the high school campus. He also dissented in an 8-1 vote to hire North Huntingdon-based Axis Architecture as the project design consultant.

The estimated cost of the renovations and expansion is $1.06 million. Additional costs, such as furniture, could boost the total to $1.3 million, district business manager John Wilson estimated.

"Our function is being stewards of the public purse," Mr. Sturm read from a prepared statement. "Instead, this board is spending money like drunken sailors on shore leave."

"I feel this project is too expensive, at this time, to be moving forward without having fully considered all possible alternatives. We are heading into an economic recession."

Mr. Rhodes, a certified public accountant, agreed that "the project is too costly."

The two-level administration building is cramped. Two entities, the school district tax office and technology operations, are in the basement there.

Improvements will include roof repairs, installation of an emergency generator, a $100,000 elevator and other modifications that will make the building comply with the federal Americans With Disabilities Act.

A preliminary architectural concept, favored by Superintendent Jack Boylan and most directors, would expand administrative, training and technology working areas, enlarge school board meeting space and create more room for storage of data and files.

The plan, presented by Hank Tkacik, of Axis Architecture, calls for expansion of the upper level from 7,500 to 10,400 square feet to create a new, more secure, main entrance to the building. The 2,985-square-foot lower level would expand by 1,344 square feet.

"We don't need a bigger meeting room," said Mr. Sturm, a 32-year educator with the Duquesne City School District. "We have a large auditorium next door in the high school, and another up at the middle school that can accommodate board meetings. Other districts do that.

"A growing need for more storage space has been a concern for some time, but apparently nobody here ever looked into alternatives like pods. I also wonder about the need for additional conference areas for training purposes. The tax office should be gone by 2011 or 2012. That space could be used for training."

Westmoreland County likely will take over collection of municipal property taxes by 2012.

"The board must approve the final plan," Dr. Boylan said. "If everything goes well, the district could seek bids for the project in February. Hopefully, work can begin by spring."

This project will not require an increase in property tax millage in the district's 2009-10 operating budget, Mr. Wilson told directors during a workshop meeting last week.

"About $375,000 remains in the capital fund that we can put toward funding this project," he said.

Proceeds from the sale of any district-owned properties could provide additional money.

Directors are expected to consider selling surplus properties next year, including Scull Elementary School, scheduled to close in June.

The district has sold two parcels this year, one across from the new Stewartsville Elementary School site for $40,000 and a small strip adjacent to the Scull building for $100.