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A local construction industry still hungry for work continues to add up to big savings for Fairfax County Public Schools.

Renovation projects that were, a couple of years ago, slated to begin in fiscal years 2015 and 2016 could begin as soon as fiscal 2013, Chief Operating Officer Dean Tistadt told the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors last week.

"We're getting 13 to 14 bids on every project we do now," he said, leading to lower average costs and freeing up funds for additional work.

In 2007, it cost as much as $172 million to renovate an elementary school, while bids for similar projects coming in this year were around $120 million -- up slightly from the $110 million average cost last year.

With the savings, there now are 11 school addition and renovation projects in the design phase and nine other projects are proposed to move up in the renovation queue.

Status of school construction projects

Projects currently in design phase:

-Marshall High School renovation

-Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology renovation

-Sandburg Middle School renovation

-Canterbury Woods Elementary School renovation

-Whitman Middle School addition

-West Springfield Elementary School addition

-Crestwood Elementary School addition

-Springfield Estates Elementary School addition

-Kings Park Elementary School addition

-Spring Hill Elementary School addition

-Cunningham Park Elementary School addition

-Woodley Hills Elementary School addition

Projects that could advance to

fiscal 2013 construction start:

-Clermont Elementary School

-Terraset Elementary School

-Sunrise Valley Elementary School

-Garfield Elementary School

-Terra Centre Elementary School

Projects that could advance to fiscal 2014 or 2015 construction start:

-Thoreau Middle School

-Westgate Elementary School

-Haycock Elementary School

-Langley High School