Sharpsville school directors talked Tuesday with residents about plans to pay for new bleachers at the football field and renovations to the former Seventh Street Elementary School.

The board is considering borrowing about $575,000 to pay for the bleachers, which cost about $280,000, and renovating the former school for district offices at a cost of about $200,000. Construction on the bleachers has already begun and renovations at Seventh Street are almost complete.

The district has about $200,000 in its capital reserve fund, left over from the elementary building project. The board has to decide whether to drain the fund to pay for either project or to take out the loan and leave the reserve fund for emergencies.

The board had previously discussed paying for the bleachers with a loan, fund-raisers or both.

Superintendent Dr. Derry Stufft said he has asked Business Manager Jaime Robertson to get information about loans from different lending institutions.

Residents Gerald Hanley and Joe Knapp asked the board if taking out a loan would lead to another tax increase. The board raised taxes 6 mills last year to cover the cost of the $12.1 million elementary building project.

Stufft said a tax hike would be a last resort. In seven years, the board has raised taxes three times for the elementary building project but not to cover day-to-day expenses, he said.

Stufft said many community groups are willing to hold fund-raisers for the bleachers. Administrators and the board also are considering raising ticket prices for games for a short period of time to raise money, he said.

The bleachers are expected to be finished by football season. Stufft said he and his staff expect to move into their new offices in the Seventh Street building during the first week of March.