With Whitefish High School construction slated to wrap up in November, the school board has decided to cover a $236,000 budget deficit using tax increment finance money.

The district receives tax increment money on a bi-annual basis, using it for capital improvements, professional development and reserves, according to District Clerk Danelle Reisch.

The deficit was $30,000 less than anticipated, according to Project Manager Dow Powell. Some of the overage was due to design changes, such as adding additional square footage and moving alternate projects back into the budget.

“We made decisions on things that the school couldn’t live without such as finishing the kitchen properly,” school board trustee Dave Fern said.

A contingency fund was never set up for the high school construction project because of budget issues early on in the design phase.

The deficit has decreased significantly over time primarily through value engineering. In fall 2012, the shortfall was estimated at $1.3 million.

“We’ve watched the budget closely all the way through,” Powell said.

The high school construction project has benefited from millions of dollars in donations and pledges to complete an athletic training facility and performing arts and technology wing.

Powell said the arts and technology wing, known as the Center for Applied Media, Arts & Sciences, is the last area to be completed.

“We’re getting ready to put in a suspended ceiling. The spaces are probably 75 percent painted out,” Powell said, adding that crews also are finishing the school’s north parking lot. “We’ve had great fall weather to get a lot of outside work and landscaping done.”

Voters approved a $14 million bond issue for the high school construction project in January 2012. The high school initially was budgeted at $19 million, but will come in at roughly $22.86 million, according to The Whitefish Pilot.

Fern said he has heard numerous positive comments about the functionality, lighting and acoustics of the new part of the school, which opened in early September.

“We’re really pleased with the reviews the school is getting,” Fern said.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at [email protected].