Austin Public Schools will spend $1.5 million less on renovations to Austin High School’s heating ventilation air conditioning system than originally planned.

On Monday, the Austin Public Schools Board unanimously approved bids for the renovations to Austin High School’s more than 20-year-old HVAC system, which will take place this summer.

Director of Buildings and Grounds Mat Miller presented the board with the bid information, citing a cost of just over $3.8 million for the total renovation cost, instead of the budgeted $5.3 million.

“The bids did come in below what we budgeted for the project, so we do have some contingency dollars available and we’re meeting tomorrow as a team to discuss what our contingency plans are,” Miller said.

Miller said the district hopes to start work on the HVAC system in the annex building as well. Superintendent David Krenz said that was the next step in the process, it is just happening sooner than they planned.

“Now it looks like we’ll get at least — if not all of it — part of it done in the first phase,” Krenz said.

This isn’t the first time the bids have been under the budgeted price.

“We feel really good that the last projects we’ve dealt with, the bids [have] come under,” Krenz said.

“So we’ve got quality design in that the folks — the contractors — feel economically that they can meet those needs at an affordable price, which is really nice.”

Miller said projects like the I.J. Holton building, Southgate Elementary’s Pi Academy and the Ellis FTLA renovations also came in under budget. He said the goal is to come in under budget, and he only recalled one time they went over budget, which resulted in having to re-bid.

Nine firms bid for the work, and the four winning bids included JD Driver Ltd at $227,000 for general construction, DMC Plumbing and Heating at just under $2.4 million for mechanical aspects, Fox Electrical Company at $589,7000 for the electrical areas, and Paape Energy at $605,780 for building and automation.

“They’re familiar with district procedures and facilities,” Krenz said. “I think that’s important.”

Krenz said having four companies the have worked with the district will be important.

“It sounds kind of simple, heating, ventilating, but with all the new electronics and controls, it’s much more complicated to have all that working together, and that’s why to have someone who’s worked in the district before is important,” he added.

Knowlton Auditorium will also be renovated this summer and is budgeted for about $2.3 million. Miller said the district hopes to be under budget as well, and bidding will open Feb. 19.