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AG board to pay architectural firm $9,450

By Angie Oravec 4 min read

The Albert Gallatin Area School Board this week approved paying Michael Molnar Associates $9,450 for schematic design work to build a new A.L. Wilson Elementary School in Fairchance. School District Superintendent Walter Vicinelly said the project could go out to bid in October, and building plans will be available for public review around that time. The district has been working on the project for about a year.

The district also approved retaining Marc Mondor as a specialty consultant to determine the feasibility of having the new elementary school certified as a “green” building under the state’s LEED program, and submitting a grant application for the state Green School planning grants.

A green building is defined as one whose construction assures the healthiest environment, while representing the most efficient and least disruptive use of land, water, energy and resources and emulating natural systems and condition of the pre-developed site after development is complete, according to Gov. Ed Rendell’s Green Government Council.

The $7.4 million project is planned for construction on 27 acres, a site large enough for future expansion and the construction of ball fields.

It will be built to accommodate student population from both Windy Hill and A.L. Wilson schools and some students redistricted from D. Ferd Swaney and Smithfield elementary schools after the district chose to close Windy Hill School and convert the existing A.L. Wilson School into an alternative education site earlier this year, according to the proposed project report released in March of this year.

It is expected to save the district money by consolidating the two schools.

Because of a continuous increase in enrollment over the past five years, students in Fairchance have been split between A.L. Wilson and Windy Hill since A.L. Wilson was too small to accommodate all classes in grades kindergarten through Grade 5, stated the report.

The existing A.L. Wilson School has not received a comprehensive remodeling or modernization since the mid 1970s, when it underwent a renovation after fire damaged most of the building, stated the report.

Windy Hill houses only five classrooms built in the 1920s and currently houses two fourth-grade classrooms, two fifth-grade classrooms and one gifted classroom.

The current school building is not ADA accessible and too small to accommodate increasing enrollment, according to officials.

Although the school is structurally sound, Windy Hill is not energy efficient and does not meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements, according to project needs. The building does not have a cafeteria or a kitchen either, causing children must be bused to A.L. Wilson for lunch each day and then returned to Windy Hill, stated the report.

In another matter, the board granted permission to have the gutters at Masontown Elementary School tested to determine possible reasons for deterioration. The cost for testing is not to exceed $6,000.

School directors Janet Swaney and John Gruskowski voted against the testing, with Swaney saying the district could save money by putting $6,000 toward new gutters since she believes new gutters will be needed despite the testing.

The board also conducted the following business:

– Announced the board’s next regular meeting will be held Wednesday, Aug. 16, at 7 p.m. in George J. Plava Elementary. Before that date, a special meeting will be held Aug. 9, at 6:30 p.m. for general purposes in the cafeteria of the elementary school.

– Awarded the following positions: Eva Mehalov as a Grade 1 teacher at Smithfield Elementary; Heather Lux as a learning support teacher at Smithfield and A.L. Wilson schools, including Windy Hill; Betty Russo as a reading specialist at AG North Middle School; Lori Detweiler as a reading specialist at AG South Middle School; Terrie Kopec as a Grade 7 developmental reading teacher at AG North; and Karen Dunham as a Grade 5 teacher at Friendship Hill.

– Eliminated the instrumental instructor position, which taught students music lessons for band, at all elementary schools. Vicinelly said the move is a cost-saving measure and teachers in those schools will begin teaching the lesson.

– Posted a library aide position at the high school and a learning support position at Masontown and Friendship Hill elementary schools after eliminating that position from Masontown Elementary School.

– Renewed a technology agreement with Intermediate Unit 1 for one technician at $200 per day, five days per week for the next school term.

– Granted Head Start permission to use Masontown Elementary School as an emergency site.

– Hired several sports coaches for junior high and high school teams.

– Publicly thanked Bill and Nancy Watson, proprietors of the Inne at Watson’s Choice, for donating books on gardening and landscaping to the school library.

– Entered into executive session for negotiations and litigation involving a grievance.

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