The Austin Public Schools Board will decide whether to approve roughly $7.6 million in bonds for renovations to Austin High School and Knowlton Auditorium at a special meeting at 3 p.m. Thursday in the District Office Conference Room at AHS.

Finance and Operations Director Mark Stotts will ask the board to approve the sale of $5,295,000 in alternative facilities bonds, and the sale of $2,330,000 in capital facilities bonds.

The general obligation alternative facilities bonds will be used for upgrading the more than 20-year-old heating ventilation air conditioning (HVAC) systems at AHS, and $2.3 million in general obligation capital facilities bonds will go toward upgrading Knowlton Auditorium’s sound and electrical systems. The plans for the auditorium also currently include renovating the open concourse area, interior of the auditorium and making one wall removable for gym access.

The projects are set to take place next summer and were planned together due to the amount of construction each project will require. The bonds will be issued around February of 2015, although if interest rates rise school officials may issue the bonds sooner to stay at a lower rate. The district has discussed the projects since I.J. Holton Intermediate School’s construction was completed.