And then there were four.

After a series of meetings, officials from the Guilford High School (GHS) Options Review Committee (ORC) have narrowed down high school construction options and are beginning to finalize the presentation that will be given to the Board of Education on March 14.

In a previous meeting, the seven original options presented by Tai Soo Kim Partners (TSKP) architects were narrowed down to four by the members of the ORC, leaving the following options on the table: baseline maintenance only, renovations only, renovations and addition, and new construction behind the existing building.

Based on a list of 17 "evaluation criteria," the options were ranked on whether they satisfy educational specs and curriculum, improve interior circulation, improve security, add options for future expansion, limit neighborhood disruption, and more.

TSKP representative Ryszard Szczypek explained the costs associated with the remaining project options in more detail.

For maintenance work only, the gross total of the project would be $34.76 million, leaving the town with a net cost of $26.4 million (after expected state reimbursement). Renovations only would cost $61.12 million, leaving an expected $42.8 million cost for the town. Renovations and the addition of the two-floor classroom wing totals $78.92 million ($56.6 million net cost to the town) and an altogether new structure would cost approximately $91 million, or $64.6 million as a net cost.

Included in those totals are the costs for additional renovation contingency, which is based off of comments made by the committee claiming "renovation work is a little more risky than new construction work," Szczypek said.

Better estimates and complete numbers are expected this week from the professional and independent cost estimator that TSKP has met with regarding the project.

"It would be nice in a public forum and even when we meet with the Board of Ed that those numbers have been checked by someone else," Szczypek said.

According to the presentation from the TSKP representatives, the renovation plus addition and/or the new construction options satisfy the net square footage recommendations for anticipated school population.

Selecting the baseline maintenance options would result in the school's being two science labs short, three social studies classrooms short, 8,295 square feet short in auditorium/theater arts/music space, and more. The renovation option provides a slight improvement, but is still a couple classrooms short in social studies and world language as well as leaving a 4,305 square-foot deficit in library/resource/technology space.

In a previous meeting, Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Anne Keene said that the baseline option should not be included, as the administration did not consider the spending a "wise use of taxpayer funds," however, ORC member Doug Baldwin argued that it should be included as an option for documentation purposes.

ORC members emphasized that a meeting strictly for developing ways to communicate the project to the public should be held and tentatively set the date for Tuesday, March 15; no specific time was set.

"You have to talk about why you're doing this and why some of the solutions are better educationally; this isn't just an economic decision, this is an educational decision," Selectman Gary MacElhiney said.

Stress was also put on holding a public hearing early in the week of March 21, which is the week before the Board of Education is scheduled to make its construction option selection.

The Board of Education is scheduled to receive the ORC presentation on Monday, March 14 at 7:30 p.m. in the high school library.