The Panther Valley School Board on Wednesday approved applications for $11.06 million in state grants to fund a new elementary school and repairs and upgrades in two existing schools.

The Public School Facility Grants are through the state Department of Community and Economic Development, and districts can apply for up to $5 million with the competitive, matching grant.

The match on this grant is 25%, which would mean the district needs to come up $2.765 million in matching funds, if successful on all three applications.

The district is seeking the full $5 million in grant funding for construction of a new elementary school, Jesse Walck, business manager, said. It is also seeking $5 million for repairs and upgrades at the high school, he said.

A third grant application is for $1.06 million for work at the intermediate school, Walck said.

A feasibility study earlier this year recommended the district replace its current elementary school with a new building, which is estimated to cost $67.5 million.

The district wants to build without raising taxes, while looking to the state for grants, such as this one, and additional funding.

The study also recommended with a new elementary kindergarten to sixth grade that the district begin using its intermediate school for 7th and 8th grades and retain the current junior/senior high school as true high school with 9th to 12th grades. The study outlined repairs and renovations needed at these existing schools.

Under the grants, the district would look at windows, water heater tanks, voltage suppression and roof work at the intermediate school, and six HVAC units, a boiler, two switch gears, transformers, breaker panels and roof work at the high school, Walck said.

The district’s match on the $5 million grants would be $1,250,000 each, and on the $1.06 million grant the match would be $265,000, he said.