North Stonington — After over a year of preparation, a bid package for the town's $38.5 million school building projects will be issued later this week.

The School Modernization Committee received permission from the state Department of Administrative Services late last week to issue a bid package. For towns seeking state reimbursement of construction costs, the department must review and approve all bid packages.

Mike Urgo, chairman of the modernization committee, said the town had been waiting for the final approval from the state before the bids could go out. That is because referendum language authorizing the renovation, which passed in 2016, specified that the town must receive confirmation that the state will fund the reimbursement of construction costs.

While the Department of Administrative Services has listed the town's renovation projects on its priority list, the state legislature ultimately funds school construction projects through its bonding legislation.

"We have to continue to hope the state will come together with bonding and get the budget done," Urgo said.

Paul Wojtowicz of Downes Construction, the construction manager of the renovation project, said there will be a pre-bid walk through of the town's schools at 3 p.m. Sept. 6. Bids will be due Sept. 21.

The project will address issues at both of the town's schools, including removing hazardous materials, such as polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs. The middle and high school students will be moved into a new addition built next to the existing gymatorium across the street, ending use of a tunnel under Route 2 that poses safety concerns, and the elementary school will have a new dedicated cafeteria, among other upgrades.

n.lynch@theday.com