The Carbondale Area School Board held a public work session last week to discuss what will be included in a $15 million renovation of the high school, and to receive input from the public on the project.
To open the meeting, project lead architect John Palumbo of The Palumbo Group and his team — architect Bill Byron and project manager Boyd Hoats, along with consulting engineer Charlie Smith of Smith Miller Associates — described the evolution of the project for the school directors and those in attendance.
Byron explained that a district-wide facility survey was completed last November, at which point The Palumbo Group presented a total of eight different project proposals to the board ranging in cost from $18 million to $26 million.
He said the board eventually opted to narrow its plans down to the high school building exclusively “to make the project as comprehensive as possible.” The proposal was submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), he noted, and PDE approved $15 million in low-interest bonds for the project.
Byron related that the district will receive state reimbursement on the project to the tune of about 35% of the overall costs, and is also applying for federal stimulus funding for it. He said this will allow the district “to maximize the return on your investment.”
He noted that certain work is required to be completed in order to receive state reimbursement, which he said amounts to just over $12 million of the total cost. The other $3 million is discretionary spending to be allocated as the board sees fit.
Byron stated that energy efficiency is one of the main requirements for the renovation work to be done.
“You have to have a sustainable school,” he offered.
He said that will mean revamping the high school’s HVAC system and its exterior envelope, including the roof, all doors and windows — “everything that keeps the air out,” he explained.
That will be accomplished, in part, by removing the penthouses on the roof where the heating and cooling is stored. Byron said they will be moved into a mechanical area to be constructed behind the school. Another benefit of doing this, he pointed out, will be plugging up one of several sources of the roof leaks which have plagued the school since it was first constructed in the 1970s.
Director Joseph Petak explained that repairing the roof was the motivating factor behind the district-wide facility study being commissioned by the board, as well as the renovation project itself. He added that it remains the top priority of the school directors as they move forward with their plans.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, Dave J. Dixon of South Church St. said he was concerned about the potential millage impact for a $15 million project upon taxpayers like himself.
Director Diane Harrity responded that the project is an absolute necessity “due to years of neglect.” Rather than addressing problems in the high school building as they arose, she said district officials kept “letting stuff move on, move on, move on” and never making the necessary improvements.
“Nothing was done structurally to [the high school] building since it was built over 30 years ago,” she stated. “Now we’re at the point where we have to make repairs.”
City resident Bill Andrews, who is married to director Tracey Andrews, also questioned the board about the millage impact. He asked how much taxpayers will have to shell out per family to pay for the project.
District business manager David Cerra replied that he couldn’t say for sure since the actual bids are still six months or so away. In addition, he noted that PDE won’t establish the district’s reimbursement percentage until about a year from now.
Without knowing those two crucial numbers, he said “it is impossible to detemine right now what the tax impact is going to be.”
However, he acknowledged that “there will be additional debt service added due to the project.”
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The Carbondale Area School Board held a public work session last week to discuss what will be included in a $15 million renovation of the high school, and to receive input from the public on the project.
To open the meeting, project lead architect John Palumbo of The Palumbo Group and his team — architect Bill Byron and project manager Boyd Hoats, along with consulting engineer Charlie Smith of Smith Miller Associates — described the evolution of the project for the school directors and those in attendance.
Byron explained that a district-wide facility survey was completed last November, at which point The Palumbo Group presented a total of eight different project proposals to the board ranging in cost from $18 million to $26 million.
He said the board eventually opted to narrow its plans down to the high school building exclusively “to make the project as comprehensive as possible.” The proposal was submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), he noted, and PDE approved $15 million in low-interest bonds for the project.
Byron related that the district will receive state reimbursement on the project to the tune of about 35% of the overall costs, and is also applying for federal stimulus funding for it. He said this will allow the district “to maximize the return on your investment.”
He noted that certain work is required to be completed in order to receive state reimbursement, which he said amounts to just over $12 million of the total cost. The other $3 million is discretionary spending to be allocated as the board sees fit.
Byron stated that energy efficiency is one of the main requirements for the renovation work to be done.
“You have to have a sustainable school,” he offered.
He said that will mean revamping the high school’s HVAC system and its exterior envelope, including the roof, all doors and windows — “everything that keeps the air out,” he explained.
That will be accomplished, in part, by removing the penthouses on the roof where the heating and cooling is stored. Byron said they will be moved into a mechanical area to be constructed behind the school. Another benefit of doing this, he pointed out, will be plugging up one of several sources of the roof leaks which have plagued the school since it was first constructed in the 1970s.
Director Joseph Petak explained that repairing the roof was the motivating factor behind the district-wide facility study being commissioned by the board, as well as the renovation project itself. He added that it remains the top priority of the school directors as they move forward with their plans.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, Dave J. Dixon of South Church St. said he was concerned about the potential millage impact for a $15 million project upon taxpayers like himself.
Director Diane Harrity responded that the project is an absolute necessity “due to years of neglect.” Rather than addressing problems in the high school building as they arose, she said district officials kept “letting stuff move on, move on, move on” and never making the necessary improvements.
“Nothing was done structurally to [the high school] building since it was built over 30 years ago,” she stated. “Now we’re at the point where we have to make repairs.”
City resident Bill Andrews, who is married to director Tracey Andrews, also questioned the board about the millage impact. He asked how much taxpayers will have to shell out per family to pay for the project.
District business manager David Cerra replied that he couldn’t say for sure since the actual bids are still six months or so away. In addition, he noted that PDE won’t establish the district’s reimbursement percentage until about a year from now.
Without knowing those two crucial numbers, he said “it is impossible to detemine right now what the tax impact is going to be.”
However, he acknowledged that “there will be additional debt service added due to the project.”
