The Norwin School Board members who voted last week for a $25 million stadium project were ripped Monday by critics who called it unnecessary, too costly in times of economic uncertainty and too much of a tax burden, particularly on senior citizens.

“I think you failed in your fiduciary responsibilities to all of the residents in the community,” Mary Hofford, of North Huntingdon, told the school board.

The board voted 5-4 on April 14 to award a general construction contract of about $19 million and various other necessary contracts, plus pay for a new artificial turf for the field and a new track around the field.

The work on the stadium — demolishing the home grandstands and rebuilding it, creating a new area for a press box, enclosed viewing area and multipurpose meeting rooms — is scheduled to begin in November, once football season is finished. The renovations are projected to be finished in June 2027.

While the school board could have chosen a cheaper option, one that was estimated to cost around $16 million, Hofford said the board opted for the “most grandiose of the stadiums.”

The students and athletes would not have been hurt had the board chosen a less expensive option, because they still would have been able to use the stadium, Hofford said.

“There’s plenty of blame to go around … and directors on the board for many years did not address it,” said Catherine Forsythe of North Huntingdon, referring to the need for repairs to the stadium that were not done. “The residents were left out of the loop.”

Patricia Oliver of North Huntingdon said that while neighbors she spoke with agreed that the stadium needed to be repaired, none agreed to bear a tax burden to pay for a more expensive stadium.

Oliver asked the board to reconsider its vote to award the contracts for the project.

But Russell Lucas, Norwin’s solicitor, said following the meeting that if the school board were to reject the bids it already awarded to contractors this month, it could result in Norwin being liable for civil lawsuits from those businesses.

The bonds Norwin will have to issue in November to raise money to pay for the work will increase its current $7.1 million debt service to about $7.6 million in the 2025-2026 school year, said Ryan Kirsch, business affairs director. The debt service will increase to about $1.5 million for the entire 2026-2027 school year, he said.

A proposed budget for the 2025-2026 school year will be presented to the school board in May, following meetings of the budget committee.