They’ve narrowed it down to nine.

After reviewing 18 applications from architectural firms that want to draw schematics for Orcas School’s upcoming bond project, the school board has narrowed the contenders down to nine.

The school is planning to put a $20 or $25 million bond on the February 2010 ballot to pay for a new middle school, library, cafeteria, and career and technical education building, and improvements to the existing elementary and high school facilities.

The board will be conducting public interviews of the architectural firms on Sept. 23 and 24 in the school library. The sessions will run from noon to 5:30 p.m. the first day, and 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. the following day. The community is encouraged to attend.

The board hopes to have schematics drawn by the end of November, as the deadline to be on the February ballot is Dec. 23.

The schedule for interviews is as follows.

Wednesday, Sept. 23: BLRB Architects, noon. TCF Architecture, 1 p.m. Dykeman, 2:30 p.m. Studio Meng/Strazzard, 3:30 p.m. Hutteball and Oremus Architecture, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 24: Mahlum Architects, 11 a.m. Miller Hull Partnership, noon. Mithun, 1:30 p.m. Sierra-Martin Architects, 2:30 p.m.

Special board meeting

The Orcas School Board will meet on Tuesday, Sept. 15 to discuss questions for the upcoming interviews with architects, starting at 5 p.m.