At least one Knoxville School Board member is none too happy with what essentially equates to a one or two-percent increase in the cost of a multi-million dollar construction project ongoing at Knoxville High School.

District-202 Superintendent Larry Carlton told the board Wednesday night that construction costs are increasing on a number of life-safety projects being completed on all district properties this summer, to the tune of $52,000 tacked on to a $4 million project.

That left board Tim Rickard close to infuriated. Rickard participated in the board meeting by phone.  "I don't understand why they couldn't have said something earlier," Rickard said.  "They had a schedule of when they were going to do things, and now all of the sudden, to drop this on and say it's because gas is going crazy -- and yeah, they're probably freaking out about that -- but that don't seem like it's our fault."

The cost increases are being attributed not only to the rising cost of fuel, but also to the rising cost of labor, and materials, and actually equate to $200,000, but were negotiated down to $52,000.

The district and the construction company came up with a list of $52,000 worth of project facets not to do in order to make up the difference, but the board determined that the project should go ahead unabated, because of how the buildings might look if they weren't done.

The District-202 Board Wednesday also approved $1,800 salary increases for Carlton, for High School Principal Mike Kemmer, and Junior High Principal Chris Lensing.