New London — A state directive has again altered the design of the $147 million plan to build two future 6-12 magnet schools — one of which is expected to start construction next year.

After months of deliberations with officials from the Department of Administrative Services, the agency that reviews school construction grant requests, the district was told to stick to the $98 million price tag for a north campus and no longer pursue a portion of the $31 million lost in a failed partnership with the Garde Arts Center for a downtown arts magnet campus.

The school district next week is expected to present state officials with design plans for a $98 million north campus that splits the STEM magnet pathway, one of three 6-12 magnet pathways that were supposed to be located on the campus.

The north campus is located off Jefferson Avenue at the current site of New London High School and the Science and Technology Magnet High School of Southeastern Connecticut.

The new plans still under development will leave the STEM Magnet Middle School and the future grade 6-12 leadership pathway where they are now located, at the Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School. Bennie Dover is the site of the future $49 million, 125,000-square-foot south campus of the school building project.

The north campus will remain home to the STEM magnet high school along with the grades 6-12 arts and language and culture pathways.

The district, with plans to become the first all-magnet public school district in the state, has four magnet pathways that start at the four magnet elementary schools.

Kate McCoy, the executive director for strategic planning, government and media relations for the district, announced the change in plans at a recent school board meeting. McCoy said the new plan, still under development by project architect Antinozzi Associates, is expected to be presented to the School Building and Maintenance Committee on Sept. 15. It likely will force some duplication of science facilities, McCoy told school board members.

It is unclear whether or not the district will have to seek new state approvals for the south campus because of the changes. The south campus project was placed by the legislature on the 2016 and then 2017 school building project priority list. A start date for construction on that campus is unknown.

In the wake of the loss of the Garde Arts Center as a partner, former school Superintendent Manuel Rivera had pursued ways to access the money, at one time floating the idea of a phased project. But the $31 million, when associated with the Garde, came with a 95 percent reimbursement rate from the state. Any money still available would come with an 80 percent reimbursement rate and an additional price tag for residents.

City residents in 2014 overwhelmingly showed their support for an all-magnet school district when they approved bonding up to $165 million for two new school campuses.

Mayor Michael Passero, who has been involved in discussions about the school building project with DAS officials, said as much as $17 million may have been accessible but he was against pursuit of additional funds.

“The taxpayers allowed us to borrow $98 million for this. My position is we have to build this high school for $98 million,” Passero said.

Passero said that not only would the City Council have to approve additional funding but it also would be subject to a petition from taxpayers and have to be borrowed.

“The city did not even adopt a capital budget because we’re concerned about the debt service. We have made no provisions for borrowing money this year,” Passero said.

He said there was a strong likelihood that the request for more funds would further delay the start of construction of the north campus, already stalled when the district redrew the campus to include the arts magnet pathway.

Board of Education Vice President Margaret Mary “Peg” Curtin said there was a meeting with the architects this week that has boosted her confidence in what eventually will be a successful project.

“We could have used the money from the Garde but we didn’t get it. It’s off the table,” Curtin said. “We’ve been approved for $98 million. We’re going to get a darned good school.”

g.smith@theday.com