Connellsville board moving forward on renovation
According to action taken at work session CONNELLSVILLE – The Connellsville Area School Board appears poised to submit another construction-related document to the state Department of Education (PDE) as it prepares to move forward with the renovation at the district high school, according to action taken Monday at the board work session.
The agenda item indicates that Crabtree, Rohrbaugh and Associates of Mechanicsburg is requesting authorization for the submission of PlanCon F to the state agency for review and approval.
The architectural firm is overseeing the design for the tentative project.
The Public School Code requires that construction and financing plans be approved by PDE prior to the start of the project.
According to the PDE, the planning document, that includes the architectural aspects of the project, must first receive board approval before the construction bids can be solicited by the district.
The PDE review coincides with the bidding process.
After rejecting bids totaling nearly $65 million in late August, the board has generally agreed to downsize the scope of the renovation project to reduce costs by $20 to $25 million.
Dr. Paul Means, board vice president and chairman of the building and grounds committee, said that the board will be updated at its Wednesday regular meeting about the status of the project.
“Things are moving forward,” he said. “However, some issues have taken more time than anticipated.”
It was expected the district would solicit bids in early January.
“We still are planning to get it out for bid by the end of January or early February,” said Means.
In a related matter, the board is also likely to enter the PDE approval of PlanCon documents A and B into its official minutes at Wednesday’s meeting. The documents are tied to the justification for the project and schematic designs for the construction.
Turning to other action, the board is also likely to conduct the following business at the Wednesday board meeting:
n Approve a lease agreement with Intermediate Unit 1 for the utilization of a classroom at a rental fee of $1,500.
n Replace Technical Communications 1, Technical Math 1, Technical Communications II, and Technical Math II offered at the Connellsville Area Career and Technical Center with English 11, CP English 11, Algebra 1 and II, Geometry, English 12 and CP English 12.
n Authorize the attendance of high school librarian Janice Albright and technology coach Linda Michael to attend the Feb. 14 and 15 Pennsylvania Educational Technology Expo and Conference in Hershey at an approximate cost of $200 for one substitute for two days.
n Permit Stacy Traynor, Brady Leasher, Leanne Bell and Stacey Kring to attend the 2011 Conference for Pennsylvania Kindergarten Teachers in Harrisburg, March 7 and 8 with the $2,000 cost to be defrayed through federal program funds.
n Eliminate speedwriting for note taking, typing, communications technology, advanced business information systems and business communications from the business education curriculum.