CASD board members weigh in on high school renovation bids
?CONNELLSVILLE — While the Connellsville Area School Board awaits the final tally for high school renovations, it appears there is support to move forward with the project.
Construction bids were opened Thursday for the scaled-back project that last year totaled nearly $64 million and was rejected by the school board.
Since that time, Crabtree, Rohrbaugh and Associates of Mechanicsburg were asked to revise its architectural drawings to reduce the size of the project and the cost.
In addition to nixing a new Olympic-size pool, the scaled-back project eliminated an administrative complex to house the superintendent’s staff and the various other departments.
A major way to cut costs, according to board members, was the decision to maintain the interior structural features. The original plan called for enlarging hallways and adding a two-story commons area.
Other deleted items from the original plan include the renovation of outdoor baseball, softball and soccer fields, along with the tennis courts. Also, the renovation of the field house and the construction of a greenhouse that was included in the original plan.
Dr. Paul Means, board vice president and chairman of the building and grounds committee, said Friday that the recent bids, totaling about $45 million, are nearer to a budget established by the majority of the board.
“The costs are in line with what we anticipated,” he said. “I’m very pleased with the initial numbers from the bids.”
Director Kevin Lape said that he had expected the proposals to be somewhat higher given the upswing in costs for copper, steel and fuel.
“I didn’t think the prices would be there,” he said.
Lape supported the original project. However, he has cast dissenting votes to any matter tied to the scaled-back version, including the submission of documents to the state Department of Education.
While pleased with the cost proposals, Lape declined to divulge whether the project would garner his support.
Although architects and project managers have yet to confirm the figures, Mucci Construction of Perryopolis submitted the lowest general construction bid at $18.97 million. The contractor did not participate in the first round of bidding.
The board additionally requested that contractors include cost proposals for the construction of an auxiliary gymnasium.
Mucci’s bid for the additional work totaled $1.72 million.
The construction of an auxiliary gymnasium is to accommodate the arrival of the freshman class at the high school.
The ninth grade students now attend Junior High East and Junior High West.
Other apparent low bidders included Hranec Sheet Metal Inc. of Uniontown. The company submitted a cost proposal of $7.82 million for the heating, ventilation and air conditioning contract.
The lowest bid for the plumbing contract was submitted by Vrabel Plumbing Co. of Gibsonia and totaled $2.96 million, with Westmoreland Electric Inc. of Tarrs offering a low bid of $5.75 million for the electrical contract portion of the project.
Canfield Development Inc. of Pittsburgh was the lowest bidder for asbestos abatement, submitting a proposal of $340,000 for the work, while Todd Devin Food of Yardley offered the lowest bid of $864,000 for construction work tied to the food service department.
Main Line Commercial Pools Inc. of King of Prussia, is the apparent low bidder to upgrade the high school swimming pool, offering a cost proposal of $1.07 million to complete the work.
While the project cost will be somewhat defrayed through reimbursement from the Department of Education, school directors have yet to determine how the remaining cost will be paid.
The district has secured a no-interest $15 million Qualified Zone Academy Bond (QZAB) through the Education Department and a $30 million bond issue to pay contractors. However, a definitive loan payback plan is not in place.
Dr. David R. Goodin, district superintendent, said that while the district faces significant financial challenges, directors must move forward with the project, while at the same time make efforts to trim spending.
Pointing to a preliminary budget deficit of $7 million, Goodin said tough decisions are ahead.
“Some may think this is not the right time to start a project, but we have to consider that we have in place (the QZAB and bond issue) and that we have spent a significant amount for design fees,” he said. “As it says in the Bible, ‘we have put our hands to the plow,’ and therefore should finish what we started.”
Goodin said that a reduced education budget proposed by Gov. Tom Corbett, the end of federal economic stimulus funding proceeds and rising operational costs are are the root of the shortfall.
“Nearly every school district in the state is faced with similar challenges,” he said. “Should the governor’s budget be approved, (the district) is going to have to make program cuts and close schools; there is no easy way to close the deficit without that combination.
“These decisions are never easy but will be necessary to put the district on sound financial footing.”
Lape, however, said that shuttering buildings, cutting programs or eliminating the kindergarten program that has been a topic of discussion in other communities, are not options he will consider.
“I do not want to cut the curriculum or see 40 kids in a classroom,” he said. “If we close 10 of the 13 (district) buildings it still won’t balance the budget.”
The building and grounds committee has scheduled a non-voting meeting 6?p.m. Monday in the high school cafeteria to discuss the construction bids.