Sep 19, 2006 By Patty Yauger 3 min read

CONNELLSVILLE – The Connellsville Area School District board of directors appear ready to accept a bid for property put on the “For Sale” list last month. The panel agreed Monday during its non-voting agenda meeting to take official action to accept the $76,800 bid offered by Eric Gordon for the North Seventh Street Crawford Building when it meets Wednesday.

Gordon’s bid was one of two submitted for the former administration building and surrounding property.

Board member Ed Zadylak said that although the offer was more than $30,000 shy of the appraisal, it is necessary to accept the amount.

“It is time to move on,” he said. “We were spending approximately $82,000 a year to maintain the building.

“The (heating system) is on its last leg; last year we spent $6,000 to get it through the winter and we were not sure if it would make it through this winter.

“Now we won’t have to worry about it.”

Because of the deteriorating status of the Crawford Building, the board agreed earlier to transfer the district administrators and staff to the Connellsville Township Elementary School building, where space was available to house the personnel.

Over the summer months district maintenance employees transformed several former classrooms and the library into offices to accommodate the added staff that includes the superintendent, human resource director, business manager, transportation, athletic, security, food service, elementary, secondary and federal programs directors and several special education supervisors.

The library was relocated to another area, added Zadylak.

The sale proceeds, he said, are to be used to defray costs associated with upgrading the new administration site and fees incurred with the property transfer to Gordon, including the advertisement of the sale, a property survey and closing costs.

The board has approved a $1,000 payment to Fayette Engineering Inc. for a survey of the property and $1,346 for advertising costs. Closing costs have yet to be determined.

Mike Omatick, director of building and grounds estimated the cost for the elementary school upgrades to be $30,000.

“The taxpayers will benefit by this move,” said Zadylak. “It is a savings to the district.”

Turning to other matters, the board also discussed conducting an Oct. 11 public meeting to review the 2006 feasibility study prepared by P.J. Dick Inc. of Pittsburgh.

The study includes the condition of each of the district’s facilities, renovation scenarios and related costs.

Omatick said that the report will also include costs related to the potential realignment of grade levels and school closures.

The board, said Omatick, has requested the information regarding reconfiguration and building closure to determine related costs of transferring students to another school should the panel determine to streamline the district.

“(The board) wants to take a look at all possible scenarios,” said Omatick of the inclusion of the information.

Representatives of the engineering firm will present the information at the 7 p.m. meeting.