HASD seeks $5M for building upgrades

Officials hopeful grant program can fund maintenance work

HOLLIDAYSBURG -- Several large infrastructure projects will cost the Hollidaysburg Area School District millions and officials are hopeful that a new Department of Community and Economic Development program will offer some assistance.

On Wednesday, the school board authorized its business manager to apply for a $5 million grant through the Public School Facility Improvement grant program. The program was initially endowed with $100 million in the 2023-24 state budget, after a lengthy battle in Harrisburg broke in favor of Gov. Josh Shapiro, who succeeded in passing the majority of his expansive education agenda.

The grant, which closes for applications on May 31, is designed to provide school districts and technical schools with the capital to address key infrastructure repairs and upgrades, such as new HVAC units, plumbing systems and accessibility projects, among other uses.

Schools may apply for a minimum of $500,000 and a maximum of $5 million, with a required 25% local match, with the stipulation that the awarded funds must be used within three years.

Since the grant application is expected to be "extremely" competitive, according to PFM financial advisor Melissa Hughes, the DCED may award partial grant amounts in order to fund more total projects.

This selectivity could result, Hughes said, in the DCED choosing to only fund the top one or two most important needs of each applicant district, so careful project prioritization is key.

According to a presentation delivered by physical plant director Jonathan Nihart, there are several large projects across the district that will require investment in the immediate future.

In his presentation, Nihart recommended that the grant funding should be spent on the first steps of installing a new senior high school roof, which was last resprayed in 2002, and replacing the junior high boiler system.

The junior high bell tower roof and entrance area security were also identified as potential targets for future grant funding.

The main roof project will be extensive -- requiring an estimated $10 million in total outlay to replace the entire roof except the gym and music wing roof, both of which were installed in 2009 as additions to the original building.

The building currently utilizes the original built-up roof system, which was bolstered by a spray foam top coat in the early 2000s.

There are several major leaks in the current double-layered roof, Nihart said, which have proved increasingly difficult to repair in recent years as the roof has continued to deteriorate.

"It's not a typical roof system that you see, not on this large of a scale," Nihart said. This improvised two-layer design may complicate efforts to remove and replace the roof, leading to higher project costs.

According to three contractors Nihart consulted in developing the roof assessment, the district could opt for a less expensive spray foam repair but this would trap moisture in the current roof structure, leading to more issues over time, so a complete removal and new system installation is best.

"Their recommendation is that you remove everything," Nihart said.

According to district solicitor Carl Beard, HASD should take advantage of the DCED program while it is still available.

"Nothing is going to get cheaper, the price is never going to go down, it's a great opportunity," Beard said.

Board member John Wells described the grant program as a potential "4:1 return on our investment," calling it a "bargain."

HASD will seek a bank loan to fund their required 25% matched contribution of $1.25 million if the district receives the full award, board president Carmen Bilek said.

PFM will work with HASD as the application deadline approaches, in order to help the district develop a strategy for loan repayment.

The DCED is expected to award the grant sometime this fall, so the district has time to plan its financial future before that consequential day arrives.

Mirror Staff Writer Conner Goetz is at 814-946-7535.