Three contractors from the Greenville area have been added to the pre-qualified contractor list for the school district's $35 million building program.

The new contractors are Melloul Blamey Construction (Greenville), Sherman Construction (Piedmont) and Yeargin Potter Shackleford Construction (Greenville). The school district now has pre-qualified 10 contractors to bid on school building projects.

School trustees gave Southern Management permission to add more contractors to the district's pre-qualified contractor list after initial bids for the Gaffney High stadium and Blacksburg High ninth grade addition came in over budget. The low bid on the stadium was nearly $3 million above the original $5.5 million estimate given by Southern Management. School trustees have required all contractors become prequalified by submitting information about their work experience, references, company background and years involved in the construction business.

"We hope the additional contractors will help the school district receive more favorable bids on the remaining building projects," Southern Management Principal Architect Tom Baldwin said. "We haven't gotten the bid coverage and competitive pricing in the bids that we expected when we pre-qualified contractors last summer."

School trustees voted in late November to table the stadium project until the school district opens bids on the remaining school building projects. Those projects include the Gaffney High ninth grade addition, Limestone Learning Center and a 6-classroom addition at Goucher Elementary.

The Gaffney High ninth grade addition will be the next project ready for bid.

Architects submitted the final plans for the ninth grade addition to the state's Office of School Facilities (OSF) in late October, Baldwin said. The district hopes to receive approval to advertise for bids on the project in a couple of weeks.

A $7 million Limestone Learning Center is still in the design phase.

Architects just started design work last week on the Goucher Elementary addition and will present preliminary drawings to the school board this spring, Baldwin said. The Limestone Learning Center and Goucher Elementary projects will be ready for bid this summer.