CHESAPEAKE — Weather permitting, work is expected to begin this week on installing the astro turf at the new athletic complex being built at Chesapeake High School.

At its meeting last week, the board of education voted to accept the bid from J&H Co. for Phase II. Last month the board had rejected that bid because it was $175,000 over the estimate of approximately $1.8 million.

“They have committed to us to get it down to the regular Phase II bid,” Board President Carl Lilly said. “It is with the understanding they will work with the subcontractors and themselves to try to get with the original bid. We didn’t want to put out new bids and postpone our timing and then get into the winter months.”

The board has also scaled back some of the complex to get the project within $3 million, the amount it plans to issue bonds for.

“We are not going to build the building on the west end that would house the locker room and weight room,” Lilly said. “That will save close to a half-million dollars.”

The plan now is to use space in the high school as a weight and locker room.

“We did have a meeting with PNC Bank and Peck and Shaffer (bond counsel) and will get a rating on the bonds by July 31,” he said. “By Aug. 5, we will know whether we have been approved.”

The district’s goal is to have the athletic complex ready for spring track season.

The board is also receiving resumes from potential candidates for the superintendent’s post since the resignation of Dr. Scott Howard. Howard, who served for about five years, submitted his resignation on June 29 and his last day with the district is Tuesday.

Starting in August, Dr. James Payne of the Lawrence County Educational Service Center, will serve as interim superintendent.