The Boyle County School Board is continuing to move forward with the estimated $32.4 million project to build a new middle school, following Monday’s board of education meeting.

During the meeting, the board approved a plan to help ensure bills can be paid in a timely manner.

“With a project of this size, it’s a cautionary measure. We don’t want anything that could potentially delay the start date,” said David Morris, chief financial officer for the district, after the meeting. “If we already have the money from the bond proceeds, it’s no problem.”

The Boyle County Finance Corporation, which Boyle Board of Education members also operate, will sell bonds on behalf of the district to finance the project.

Bids will be opened for the new Boyle County Middle School project on Nov. 13, said Superintendent Mike LaFavers. Ideally, he said, groundbreaking would begin on Dec. 1, but that would depend on the whoever is hired to work on the project.

The bonds are planned to be sold on Dec. 5, according to John Stomberger with Hillard Lyons, the fiscal agent for the district, and bond sales are to be closed on Dec. 27.

The board’s action Monday will allow the school district to pay bills if they come due before bonds are sold to cover the expense. The expense would then be paid back to the school district after the bonds are sold. Stomberger told board members that scenario is not expected to arise; it’s simply a safeguard.

“Thank you all for thinking ahead like that,” said LaFavers.

Plans for a new middle school began after the Boyle County Board of Education purchased property owned by Centre College, adjacent to the campus of the Boyle County High School, the current middle school, and Woodlawn Elementary in October 2015; the district had also approved and successfully obtained the “nickel tax” earlier that year, bringing in more revenue.

In 2016, the district officially started the process, hiring an architect and holding meetings to determine what the new school should look like.

The new Boyle County Middle School, which will face Cunningham Way, is expected to open in time for the 2019-2020 school year.

The current middle school will be renovated to become the new Woodlawn Elementary School; the current Woodlawn Elementary School will be renovated to hold district’s central office — the district rents space across U.S. 127 from the rest of campus, at 101 Citation Drive, Suite C.