Four Lawrence architecture firms have been selected to design major projects that are part of the school district’s proposed $59 million bond issue, officials said Tuesday.

Each firm is expected to create conceptual designs before the Feb. 7 kickoff of a campaign to build support for the bond issue.

“We wanted to make certain we use local firms in this process,” said Rick Gammill, the district’s director of facilities planning.

Firms and assignments:

• Gould Evans Associates — a new $21.1 million South Junior High School linked by a common office to existing Broken Arrow School.
• Treanor Architects has two projects — the proposed $8.9 million renovation of Lawrence High School and $4.6 million renovation of Cordley School to accommodate students from Centennial School, which would be closed.
• GLPM Architects — $6.8 million expansion of the Lawrence Alternative High School, which would be known as Lawrence Futures Academy.
• Sabatini and Associates — $3.3 million renovation of New York School to take care of more students when East Heights School is shut down.

¢ More on the school bond project and on plans to close schools.

These firms were selected by a 10-member committee. Each was hired by the district on a contingency basis. If the bond issue passes, Gammill said, they’ll be paid.

In the past, architectural firms working on district projects were paid approximately 6 percent of construction costs. No contracts have been signed.

The firms were collectively assigned $44.7 million in projects. Negotiations for more than $14 million in work at Central, West and Southwest junior high schools and Deerfield, Hillcrest, Quail Run, Sunset Hill and Wakarusa Valley elementary schools has yet to be completed.

Architecture firms will meet in the next week with representatives of DLR Group, an Overland Park consulting firm hired by the board to oversee the district’s facility planning. DLR Group is also working on a contingency basis.

District voters go to the polls April 1 to decide whether to spend $59 million on district buildings, repaying the debt over 20 years.