The scope of a project to renovate and expand Northside High School has nearly doubled, leading to a $3 million increase in the price tag.

Richard Flora, director of operations for Roanoke County schools, said at a school board meeting Wednesday night that the original plan was to renovate only part of the high school. Based on that plan, the cost was estimated in 2002 at $4.51 million.

"Now we're looking at pretty much a total renovation of the school," which was built in the early 1960s, Flora said. The project's price has been increased to $7.82 million. Construction will likely start in the fall of 2006.

Flora said the expansion will allow all of the school's offices to be together in a common area rather than spread around the school. The old office areas will be used for classrooms.

"It gets back to the growth we're experiencing in Roanoke County," said board Chairman Drew Barrineau. Northside is at the top of the school system's capital improvement plan, which addresses overcrowding at several schools.

Because of the increase in the project's price, the board voted unanimously to allocate extra money for architectural and engineering services. In December 2002 it approved a contract with Hayes, Seay, Mattern & Mattern for $295,975. That amount was increased to $593,246.

The board also voted unanimously to allocate $125,000 from its major capital account to pay for construction documents related to a new wing at Bonsack Elementary. Because of a lack of funding, the wing wasn't built during the school's original construction.

Rodriguez Ripley Maddux Motley Architects, which has offices in Norfolk and Roanoke, has been selected to prepare the construction documents for $100,000 plus reimbursable expenditures. The rest of the money will be put toward a land survey and a subsurface soils investigation.

The Bonsack project could start as early as this fall and be completed by July 2006.

Board members also approved a salary increase for themselves. As of January 1, they will make the same as the county's Board of Supervisors - $14,816 each with $1,800 extra for the chair.

The board approved changes to the acceptable use policy for computer and internet access, which includes the laptops assigned to county students.

Among the regulations: Only authorized educational programs installed by school staff may be used, and students should not remove any part of the computer except the main battery and the power adapter.

Students could face criminal charges if they violate the rules.

Also at Wednesday night's meeting:

• Ben Williams, coordinator of social studies for the county, was named associate director of testing and remediation. He will replace Susan Willis, who will become acting principal of William Fleming High School in Roanoke.

• Julie Myers, assistant principal at Cave Spring Middle School, was named principal of Glenvar Middle School.

• Tom Hall, assistant superintendent for personnel, recognized Doris Boitnott, UniServ director for the Virginia Education Association's District 4, which includes Roanoke and Alleghany counties and Covington. This summer, Boitnott will become assistant director of government relations for the Virginia Education Association.