TOLONO — The Unit 7 school board Wednesday voted to issue another $500,000 in general obligation bonds that will pay for Unity High School additions.

The bonds will be sold in March, according to Superintendent Andrew Larson.

In November, the school board authorized the issuance of $3 million in bonds for the project.

Construction is expected to start this spring on an expanded cafeteria and kitchen, a media center addition and a fine arts addition. The fine arts addition will make more classroom space available in the junior high school building, which currently hosts music and art classes.

Larson told the board that the high school's hallways are not heating properly, mainly because students are constantly opening doors to go to classes at the junior high and the fitness center. New ceiling-mounted units that would help correct the problem would cost between $1,000 and $1,500 each, Larson said.

The upcoming construction project plans include reconfiguring the front vestibule. That, combined with students not going to classes at the junior high, should help alleviate the problem next year, Unity Principal Phil Morrison said.

In other business, Larson told the board that the high's school's driver's education program lost $51,000 last year. Students pay a fee of $50 for the class; Larson said raising the fee might be a way to recover some of the costs of expenses like gasoline and oil changes.

If the board decides to raise the fee, the district will have to hold a public hearing.

The state reimbursed the district $20,500 for the program last year.

Conversely, Larson said the district's lunch and breakfast programs generated $11,755 for the district last year.

In other financial news, Larson said the state owes the district $635,000, compared to the $750,000 the state owed a year ago.