MARYSVILLE – The Marysville School Board approved the low bid March 28 to build the Marysville-Pilchuck High School Cafeteria Commons.

“This is the culmination of a lot of work by a lot of people,” School Board President Pete Lundberg said.

The board chose the low basic bid from Tiger Construction of $6.12 million. It also approved more than $236,000 of alternatives required so the project could receive state funding. The state is paying for $7.5 million of the total costs.

The final cost, including sales taxes, furniture, etc., will be about $8.24 million.

“This is a momentous occasion to move forward, and another part of the healing process,” Lundberg said, referring to the shooting that killed five students leading to the need for the new cafeteria.

The board still needs to figure out how to pay for unfunded costs with local money. If the $230 million school bond passes April 26, there would be no issue. But if it fails money could be transferred from other areas or some cuts could be made to balance the project’s budget.