Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox.
Construction continues at Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School.
The Mechanicsburg Area School Board is considering updated options that would make recently inflated costs more manageable for a planned renovation project at the high school.
At a meeting last month, Superintendent Mark Leidy advised the school board that changing market conditions appeared to have added nearly 20% to the original estimates for the project.
On Tuesday night, administrators presented the board with a series of “scope adjustments” to renovation plans previously budgeted at $45 million, but estimated last month at roughly $53.3 million due to inflation.
District business administrator/CFO Greg Longwell said he and Leidy developed the potential project adjustments in conjunction with project architect J. Brian Haines, of Crabtree, Rohrbaugh and Associates of Mechanicsburg.
“Ultimately, our goal was address the increased costs associated with the project’s estimate due to market escalation in the construction industry,” Longwell told The Sentinel this week.
This project is separate from a $24 million expansion project already in progress at the high school. The building was constructed in 1968, with additions and renovations added in 1981 and 2001.
Initial renovation estimates in September 2020 placed the proposal’s overall cost at $56 million, but in March 2022, project architect Brian Haines said that projected costs had been reduced to between $45 million and $48 million by “strategizing of how and where” project money was spent.
Architectural renderings presented in March included “light” renovations to the high school’s two-story classroom wings that would involve new flooring, lighting and painting in all rooms. Plans then also involved replacing the school’s roof and food service equipment and upgrading its mechanical, plumbing, electrical and security systems and technology access.
As presented Tuesday, the district is opting to raise its standing budget for the project from $45 million to $50 million by adding funds originally earmarked for building work at the middle school, a move that Longwell said would be a “deferral rather than an elimination” of the district’s middle school plans.
“We recognize there are still needs at the middle school and will need to return to that in the future to better assess needs and options,” he said. “However, for the time being, our priority is to address the high school project.”
On June 14, the school board authorized general obligation bonds totaling $9.7 million as the first of three planned borrowings intended to fund the high school renovation. Bond terms negotiated in June extend through May 15, 2050, with an average yield of 4.25%.
Scope considerations presented Tuesday for the high school would reduce the district’s estimated project price by nearly $5 million to $48,500,000.
Considerations include reducing the scope of kitchen and cafeteria renovations, a move that cuts $1.2 million from the project’s overall price without changing the cafeteria’s open floor seating capacity, efficiency, traffic flow and new structure finishes.
Also, opting for a roof recoat at the high school rather than replacement removes an additional $3.7 million from project costs. Recoating, estimated at $2.1 million, offers a 20-year warranty, energy efficiency and a “proven track record” elsewhere in the district, administrators said Tuesday.
Finally, school directors were presented with either replacing or renovating the high school’s existing pool. Replacing the pool would cost an estimated $5.8 million, while renovations there would total $2.5 million.
Proposed scope of renovations include raising the water level, filtration system replacement, and new pool deck. Proposed replacement would provide eight pool lanes but requires further design work.
“There was a consensus from the board (Tuesday) to move forward with finalizing design and bid specifications based on the recommended scope adjustments. Additionally, the board was supportive of continuing to look at the new pool option,” Longwell said this week.
District administrators are to provide further information regarding pool renovation options at the school board meeting on Sept. 27. Board authorization to advertise for project contractor bids is scheduled to take place Oct. 4, followed by review of contractor bids Nov. 22 and possible contract awards Dec. 13.
Construction would begin early next year.
In other news, the school board Tuesday approved policy changes outlining a new report card format the district is initiating this year for its elementary students.
The action revises an existing district policy, Reporting Student Progress, to correlate with how district students in grades K-5 are graded this year for report cards. The updated elementary-level monitoring and reporting system was first presented for board consideration in May by assistant superintendent Andrew Bitz.
The revised policy defines the district’s K-5 report cards as “an update to families regarding their child’s achievement in comparison to grade level expectations, growth in relationship to previous achievement, and approaches to learning,” Bitz previously said.
“In talking about approaches to learning, we will be providing information on student work habits and social skills in comparison to what would be appropriate in a similar grade or age,” Longwell said last month.
Also Tuesday, Mechanicsburg school directors recognized this year’s recipients of the district’s outstanding staff performance awards.
Regular assignment, administrative category — Sandy Zettlemoyer, athletic trainer
Regular assignment, elementary category — Grace Adams, fourth-grade teacher
Regular assignment, middle school category — Anastasia Clayton, social studies teacher
Regular assignment, high school category — James Statler technology education teacher
Extra assignment, high school category — Jason Minnich., health/physical education teacher
Extra assignment, middle school category — Nicole Mukusa, learning support teacher
Extra assignment, elementary school category — Danna Hoffman, music teacher
Instructional support category — Sandra Probst, special education instructional assistant
Noninstructional support category — Jennifer Schweighart, CFO administrative assistant
Construction continues at Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School.
Construction continues at Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School for renovations and expansions.
Construction continues at Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School.
Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox.
Superintendent David Christopher responded Tuesday that Blocksi has been initiated by the district this year in response to multiple teacher concerns regarding students playing electronic games and other unauthorized activities on district devices in the classroom.
During the interview process, each applicant will have a scheduled time slot to answer questions from board members.
The board could vote Monday on a motion to advertise for qualifications from contractors interested in doing the mechanical and plumbing work at the middle school.
The $21.5 million plan will be paid for with money from the previous year's School Food Services General Fund appropriation.
The board in early August gave Superintendent James Estep the go-ahead to advertise two ELL teacher positions to reinforce the two positions already hired and included in the 2022-23 budget.
Kevin J. O'Donnell Jr., the current assistant to the superintendent, will replace James Estep, who will retire effective Jan. 2.
A third and potentially expensive change order is in the offing for the synthetic turf field under construction on the Carlisle High School campus.
Check out the area students who were named to their respective deans' lists this summer.
“We’re still holding to that schedule,” Lehman said. “The scoreboard should be up next week. We’re moving right along.”
Construction continues at Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School.
Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.