Pine-Richland High School's auditorium could have a new stage floor by this summer.

The school board on Feb. 19 gave construction managers permission to put the project out to bid, which will be presented at the March 18 meeting.

Dan Engen of Eckles Architecture suggested installing a Masonite tile floor to replace the current yellow pine surface, which is original to the 15-year-old building. When the new floor starts to show wear and tear, custodians can simply replace the damaged panels.

Engen said the durable Masonite would be a vast improvement over wood given the high amount of traffic the stage endures year after year. Many other facilities are using the material, including Carnegie Mellon University.

The nosing of the stage will also be redone and new handrails will be installed. Workers hope to start the stage replacement by June, but must dance around performances that have already been scheduled for that month. Installation of the Masonite, Engen said, is faster than installing a hardwood floor that must be sanded and finished.

Cost estimates for the project hover between $33,000 and $45,000; significantly less than a hardwood floor, which was priced at about $50,000.

As an added precaution, Engen suggested that the district purchase a roll-up dance floor that could be stored away when not in use. In addition to protecting the stage surface, the thin, hard mat would provide better sound quality, especially during tap dancing performances.

The school board also discussed ways to quell disruptions caused by the auditorium's entryways.

The click-clack of door locks, accompanied by light pouring in from the hallway each time someone enters or exits the theater, distracts the actors and musicians on stage.

Architects are studying the feasibility of building a vestibule over the entrances, with double sets of doors. The doors leading into the auditorium would have no noisy hardware on them. Ten feet of open space would separate the silent doors from the ones leading into the lobby. If an audience member does leave during a show, the first set of doors would close by the time they reach the second set.

The vestibule would cause line-of-sight issues for a few patrons in the back of the auditorium. Eckles will continue to study the problem and report back to the board at a later time.

School board vice president A. Robert Necciai suggested raising auditorium fees for all non-school related activities to cover the repair costs.