The Gloucester County School Board is preparing to enter into a contract with Oyster Point Construction of Newport News, the low bidder for the construction of Page Middle School, but delayed a final decision Tuesday until its meeting with county supervisors next week.

The school division has negotiated a construction cost of $22,031,000 with Oyster Point, a figure that does not include an additional $288,000 to "harden" a section of the school for use as a storm shelter. Whether to add the hardening to the contract will be a topic during the joint meeting of the two boards on Tuesday.

Scott Shorland, construction supervisor for the county school division, told school board members the projected cost for the total school project, including the demolition of the former Page school, is $28,876,758. He said the school division has the resources to cover those costs, but not the cost of the work needed for a storm shelter.

There are also $358,000 in other unfunded options for the n...