The cost difference between renovating the outdated Dallas High School and building a new one has narrowed and is likely to continue to shrink, making new construction financially more reasonable, an architect told the Dallas School Board on Monday.

G. Douglas Rohrbaugh of Crabtree, Rohrbaugh and Associates Architects said savings made through renovation could be as little as $15 a square foot, and that the difference “absolutely” could be smaller by the time all the numbers are crunched.

That’s because the 1960s-era high school has lasted twice as long as it probably should have, and is plagued by rooms that are too small, hallways that are too narrow, a heating system that is too old and limitations on room for expansion that would make adding space “like adding three or four small buildings” around the existing school rather than just adding one large wing.

Rohrbaugh did not give any estimate for total cost, but Board Member Karen Kyle pointed out that the district is restricted by how much it can borrow. After the meeting, Business Manager Grant Palfey said the amount of debt the district can take on varies between $25 million to $45 million, depending on technicalities in how it is financed.

Board President Maureen Matiska stressed it’s much too early to make a decision on whether to renovate or build new. Prodded by some audience member who questioned the architect’s portrayal of the existing school as seriously “deficient,” Rohrbaugh agreed to post photographs of the school on his firm’s Web site, www.cra-architects.com, and to have the district set up a link to those photos on the Dallas site at www.dallassd.com.

In other business, the board:

• Agreed to pay up to $30,000 to “settle and compromise all claims raised by the parents of an eligible student.” Superintendent Frank Galicki said he could not comment on the payment other than to note it involved a student from out of state.

• Agreed to pay $17,500 to settle a claim made by Monarch Painting Systems Inc. The company had asked for $73,073, alleging that delays caused by the district had forced Monarch to lose money on work done at the Middle School. Business Manager Grant Palfey said that the school’s attorneys had decided it was more economical to settle for the lower amount than to spend money fighting the claim.

• Hired Dr. Gwen Galasso to review ACCESS applications for special-needs students at $10 per case. ACCESS, a state insurance program, reimburses districts for some special education services.

• Extended the employment of Rebecca Matus as a long-term substitute English teacher at $32,819 a year.

• Appointed Karen Heltzel as long-term substitute elementary teacher at $31,599 a year, Maureen L. Kenny as health and physical education teacher at $32,819, Karen Neare as classroom and office aide at Dallas elementary at $8.06 an hour and Matthew Crane as life guard at $7 per hour.

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