Connellsville board decides to build school
CONNELLSVILLE – By a narrow vote margin, school district board members moved to submit design plans to the state level for the approval of a multimillion-dollar construction project. The approval by the Connellsville Area School District board on Wednesday will allow planners to now concentrate on the costs associated with building a new Springfield Township Elementary School.
Board members Kevin Lape, Chip Nicholson, Charles Wilson, Ann Watson and David Goldblum authorized Astorino Pellis Architects to forward PlanCon A and PlanCon B, project justification and schematic drawings, onto the state Department of Education.
Board members Jeff Harvey, Francis Mongell, Karen Blocker and Loretta Lint cast dissenting votes to the measure.
Joseph L. Pellis, spokesman for the architectural firm, said he anticipates approval from the state department.
“We’ve had some meetings with them, so they are pretty much on board with us before we even submit it,” he said.
The board agreed last year to replace the current mountain-area school after the nearly 60-year-old building was rated to be in fair to poor condition in a feasibility study.
However, when presented with design plans proposing an 80,000-square-foot building and an estimated $10 million price tag, many members began questioning the need for a large structure with the current 300-student population.
Harvey said with planned renovation improvements at the neighboring C.N. Pritts Elementary School, the board should consider combining the two schools to save costs.
“The taxpayers are facing higher tax rates with the reassessment and I really don’t think we need to add to that burden,” he said.
The board was similarly split when it voted to spend $34,200 to construct a storage garage, convert an existing garage to house students and remodel the basement of the C.N. Pritts school for classrooms.
“We’re building a brand new school for 300 kids at Springfield and converting a garage for the kids at C.N. Pritts,” said Mongell. “That doesn’t make sense.”
In other action, the board also conducted the following business:
– Hired Bryce Clark to remove the timber between the high school and Junior High East at no cost to the district.
– Agreed to advertise for candidates to fill the senior high school head girl’s basketball and assistant girl’s basketball coaching positions and senior high school swimming team diving coaching position.
– Authorized the installation of an irrigation system at the senior high school baseball field and football practice field at a cost of $3,500.
– Agreed to purchase the World Culture/A Global Mosaic, a senior high school social studies textbook at a cost of $6,200.
– Scheduled an April 29 budget work session to be held at the high school beginning at 7 p.m.
– Hired Vicki McWilliams as an accounts payable specialist at an annual salary of $17,739.
– Added Heather Eberly to the professional substitute list and Juanita Gregory, Tina Haky, Elisabeth Hugh, Jason Kurek, Catherine Trimble and Jill White to the emergency substitute list.