LUMBERTON — A new gym at Townsend Middle School may be larger than planned thanks to the poor economy.

At a regular meeting Tuesday, the school board for the Public Schools of Robeson County heard that the gym could be constructed with a regulation high school basketball court and additional parking for the budgeted $1.5 million.

In October, the board voted to send the project out to bid to see if the regulation 50- by 80-foot court could be included in the projected budget. If not, Superintendent Johnny Hunt said the court could be 42 feet by 72 feet, which is standard for a middle school.

Architect Walter Vick, of The LSV Partnership, said Tuesday that bids came in lower than expected because of an “aggressive marketplace.”

“For the moment, it’s good news for anyone building,” Vick said.

The good news did not extend to summer school, which does not have enough money this year for students in third through eighth grades.

“We’re operating on a hope and prayer a lot of the time,” said board member Severeo Kerns, chairman of the Finance Committee.

High school students will have access to online classes provided by the Department of Public Instruction at no cost to the system. The Learning Accelerated Program, 17 online courses and other classes will be available to high school students in July.

A dearth of state money might also hurt Early College High School. The system may not receive the usual $306,000 from the state next year. The school’s annual budget also includes about $835,000 from grants and other sources.

“Of course, you can’t count things until you have them in hand,” Hunt said. “... Early College is a good program. We’d like to keep it going.”

It may be as late as October before the system hears from the General Assembly about the money.

“I’d like to know where the funds are coming from,” said board member Robert Deese.

Board member Jerry Long said he was concerned about the program’s results from its five years of operation. Students in Early College can take classes at Robeson Community College as part of their coursework and graduate high school with a diploma and an associate degree. In 2009, less than half of the 42 graduates earned the degree.

Principal Melissa Flowers said the percentage should increase as the school educates students through all four years of high school, instead of mostly transfer students. Presently, the program is at capacity for ninth and 10th grades.

“We’re going to see those numbers pick up,” Flowers said. “... We’re working out some kinks. We’re on the way up.”

Tommy Lowry, assistant superintendent of Instruction and Support, said some students cannot pass the competency examination to attend college classes, which means they cannot pursue the degree.

“We had a few students who were ready to go, but they couldn’t go in and pass that test,” Lowry said.

The board ended up tabling the discussion.

The board also heard and accepted an audit by Julia Kinlaw of S.. Preston Douglas & Associates. She reported that the fund balance only held enough money for five days of operation and recommended the board grow the fund to three months of operating expenses. The fund had run low because of other expenses and a decrease in state and county money. She showed records for the last five years, demonstrating increases and decreases in spending and income.

“Your expenditures pretty much follow your revenues,” she said.

In the school food service, the cost was decreased by about $1 million in 2009 through food purchases and by eliminating full-time positions in favor of part-time ones.

“Expenses are actually lower than they were two years ago,” Kinlaw said.

The program now needs a better way to collect payment for the meals served, she said. A method of gathering payments is also needed for before- and after-school child care. The service is provided to parents at a cost of $22 a child or $32 for two children and should be self-supporting, said Finance Officer Erica Setzer.

Walter Jackson, assistant superintendent for Technology, received the go-ahead to buy five new vans for a total cost of $94,000. The new vehicles should arrive in six to eight weeks. Jackson said the vehicles would be used to transport technicians to schools to perform maintenance on computer systems.

“We have a dire need for new vehicles,” Jackson said.

With spring on the way, the board approved the replacement of softball safety netting at two high schools. The fields at St. Pauls and Fairmont border other fields or roads. The total cost will be approximately $23,000.

“We need to move quickly on this because it is an accident waiting to happen,” said Danny Stedman, assistant superintendent of Operations.

Stedman also asked the board to hire a cafeteria employee at Magnolia Elementary School for 20 hours a week. Several employees retired recently and were not replaced in an effort to slash the budget. This method worked at every school except Magnolia, Stedman said.

“They are struggling in that cafeteria,” he said.

The board approved the hire and also a school calendar for 2010-11 that adds a half day for staff development to each semester. Long asked if staff would attend these sessions. According to Long, when the system tried this calendar in past years, parents were upset and staff did not travel to the development training.

“They’ll get there this time,” said board Vice Chairman Loistine DeFreece.

After two months of discussion and Medicaid concerns, the board decided to offer a contract to the Friendly Neighborhood Dental Van to visit Robeson County schools under three conditions: parents are required to be present; care must be limited to after-school hours; and service would not start until the fall.

“Our children need dental care,” Hunt said. “... We will have to monitor to make sure it is accessible to different parts of the county.”

Hunt said he does not believe the company will sign the contract with those stipulations.

In other business:

— Josh Whitley, president of the Kiwanis of Robeson/Lumberton, informed the board that Read Across America would be March 2. On that day, Kiwanians will read to students and give them books in honor Dr. Seuss’ birthday.

— Approved an E-Rate grant in the amount of $2.4 million for Internet, cell, landline, long distance and e-mail services.

— Renewed contracts with S. Preston Douglas & Associates and a computer recycler that pays the system 5 cents a pound for old equipment.

— Approved a $77,000 software licensing agreement with Microsoft.

— Voted to have an architect draw plans for a new cafeteria at Union Chapel Elementary School. The old structure will be converted into classrooms.

— Approved the purchase of about an acre of land adjacent to Red Springs Middle School that will be used for parking.