Contractors hoping to get in on the planned construction at Dowagiac Union High School this summer will have a little more time to work on their homework.

Administrators with Dowagiac Union Schools have pushed back the deadline for bids for the upcoming high school renovation project, and will accept submissions up through Thursday, Feb. 23. Bids were originally due Wednesday, though the district leadership decided to extend the deadline following a recommendation from contractors with Skillman Corporation, the firm managing the series of construction projects that are funded by the $37 million bonds passed by district voters in 2015.

The district opened the high school renovation project for bidding in late January. Since then, several of the companies interested in the project have requested an extension in order to collect more information, said Union Schools Superintendent Paul Hartsig.

“We wanted to make sure they have ample time so they could deliver the best bid possible,” Hartsig said.

The renovation, which is slated to begin in June, will include a complete overhaul of Union High School’s interior. In addition to updating classrooms with new furniture and technology, construction plans include the installation of new a heating and cooling system, the building of a new front office with a secure entry vestibule and overhauls to the cafeteria and library, among other plans.

The bid package is separated in 19 different elements, including electrical, heating/cooling and flooring, that companies can submit bids for. So far, each of the categories have received multiple potential bids, the superintendent said.

“We are hoping the extension will encourage other companies to sharpen their pencils and get bids into us,” Harsig said. “We are pleased with the amount of interest the project has generated so far, but the more bids we receive the better.”

The project also includes the construction of a new competition gym on the building’s northeast side, adjacent to the existing gymnasium. The district plans on breaking ground on that phase of the project first, in May.

In spite of the extension, district leaders do not anticipate any delays for the planned construction, Hartsig said.

Bids will be unsealed following the deadline on Feb. 23. The district will conduct follow-up interviews prospective contractors in the following three days. After that, they will forward their recommendations to the board of education, who will either vote on the contractors at their next scheduled meeting March 20 or during a special meeting before then, Hartsig said.