Lyle School officials are considering building a new school on another site instead of adding on to the existing school.

Where they'll find land to do so is another question.

The cost, however, would be the lowest Lyle taxpayers have seen for a school construction plan. Estimates by architects Smiley, Glotter and Nyberg show that the school's cost would come in near $8 million, lower than the $11.1 million plan voted down by residents last fall and lower still than the $9 million estimates the architects presented to residents this past spring.

With state aid, architects estimate school district residents would have to pay for $6 million of the total cost, said school board president Dwight DeBoer.

This new proposal is still tentative. School board members just received plans in the mail Tuesday and hadn't had a chance to go over them.

Two rural Lyle residents expressed their concerns about the cost of the school at the May school board meeting. After that meeting, the board asked the architects to come up with a plan that comes in under $8 million.

The near $8 million estimate doesn't include the cost for the land, but the school has capital funds that would cover the purchase, said Principal Royce Helmbrecht. Helmbrecht estimates that land in that area would cost about $2,200 to $2,400 an acre.

The new proposal also doesn't include new athletic fields. The fields would have to stay on the current site or, if building costs come in lower than expected, the school could put the extra money toward new fields.

School board member Carl Truckenmiller said having the fields away from the locker rooms might be a disadvantage, but he said he needs to look at the plans closer before forming an opinion.

"If it gets us a new school built, I guess I'm for it," he said.

The $8 million estimate includes demolition costs for the old school. Helmbrecht said the land could be sold to the city for housing development if district residents decide to go with this plan.

How much land the school would need depends on what the state determines is appropriate for the school population. The school is considering a 32-acre site just north of the school, but if the state requires more land, that couldn't be an option, Helmbrecht said.

Board members will review the plans before its meeting Monday. The board would have to approve any plan before residents could vote on it.

Cari Quam can be reached at 434-2235 or by e-mail at cari.quam@austindailyherald.com