EDMONTON — The Metcalfe County School Board proceeded Monday night with its plan to build a new middle school by interviewing two architectural firms.

Each firm was given at least an hour to make a presentation followed by a question and answer period.

Lucas/Schwering Architects of Lexington went first followed by G. Scott and Associates of Frankfort.

Representatives of both firms supplied school board members with information pertaining to their experience in the design of education facilities, projected costs and whether they would use a construction manager, a general contractor or direct purchase orders.

School board members spoke favorably of each firm.

“I think we’ve got two good choices,” said Pat Hurt, superintendent.

School board member Greg Harris said Lucas/Schwering’s presentation was “very well thought out,” and board member Karen Tudor described G. Scott and Associates’ presentation as being “more unique to our needs.”

“They were both good presentations,” Tudor said.

Lucas/Schwering has designed 210 schools in 31 communities over a period of 20 years. The firm has experience in both renovation and addition as well as new construction.

The firm has done projects statewide, many in southcentral Kentucky, including the renovation of Gamaliel Elementary in Monroe County.

Lucas/Schwering does not use a construction manager, but instead prefers a direct purchase order system. The firm says the use of direct purchase orders can save school districts money.

Larry Schwering told school board members the Casey County Board of Education used direct purchase orders when building Walnut Hill Elementary and by doing so had more than $170,000 in savings.

The architects gave school board members an estimated project cost of $12.4 million with a projected completion date of spring 2012.

G. Scott and Associates also has experience in new construction, addition and renovation, and it has active projects in 13 school districts across the state.

Two area projects it recently under took were the construction of a new middle school in Green County and the Allen County Primary Center.

The firm gave school board members two estimated project costs. One at $190 per square foot for a 60,000 square foot space, for a total of roughly $13.2 million. The other estimate was also for a 60,000 square foot space at a cost of $180 per square foot for a total of $12.4 million.

G. Scott and Associates prefer to use a general contractor.

Gary R. Scott told school board members he was aware that many architectural firms have chosen to allow clients to issue direct purchase orders for projects, and said when they do so they are essentially taking on the role of construction manager.

“We don’t do much construction manager work,” he said.

Metcalfe has a bonding capacity of $11.3 million. In September the school board voted to take a 4 percent increase in tax revenue compared to 2008. The tax increase is expected to generate about $92,812 in additional revenue for the district, less $3,712.48 for the cost of collections for a total of $89,099.52.

State law also allows any school district to provide a special fund for the purchase of construction sites for new schools, physical education or athletic facilities. It also allows school districts to create such a special fund for the major alteration, enlargement or the equipping of existing buildings and athletic facilities.

The school board has set aside 5.7 cents per $100 assessed value from the tax rate to generate revenue to pay for construction. The monies garnered from the tax revenue increase will be matched with about $90,000 from the school district’s General Fund to be the equivalent of a nickel, which the school board is hoping the state legislature will equalize when it reconvenes in January.

In the beginning the school board had discussed constructing an addition to Metcalfe County High School and using the new space as a middle school, but are now considering other options.

“That was our vision at the time,” said Steve Thompson, school board chairman. “We’re not locked into that. My vision for that hill is to become the Metcalfe County Secondary Learning Center.”

The school board is looking to move quickly with the project.

“Our goal is to have a shovel-ready project to take to the legislature,” Thompson said.

Lucas/Schwering and G. Scott and Associates were two of six architectural firms that submitted bids for the project. Four of the six met the bid specifications. Whether the school board will interview the remaining two firms, Sherman, Carter and Barnhart, of Lexington, and Clotfelter Samokar, also of Lexington, is up to the school board, Hurt said.

If the school board directs her to set up appointments with the other architectural firms, she said she will do it. However, it is possible the school board will stop its search for an architect and choose one of the two firms that presented Monday.

If the board is content with its options, Hurt said it is possible the school board will make a decision to a hire a firm at its Nov. 16 meeting.