Penn Cambria hears options for schools

LILLY -- Penn Cambria School Board members heard a new proposal Tuesday night as the board considers its consolidation and restructuring options for the future.

The proposal, dubbed "option 12A" by Core Architects' principal and lead planner/designer David Nitchkey, would place all students on one centralized campus at the district's pre-primary and high schools in Cresson.

According to Nitchkey, the plan would create a "school within a school" by adding an addition to the high school for grades 2-6 and restructuring the high school for grades 7-12. The pre-primary school would be restructured for pre-K through first grade and would house the district's administration office.

The new addition would be located on the northern side of the school -- facing the district's athletic field -- near the existing cafeteria where parking spaces currently exist. It would have a separate, secure entrance from the high school, Nitchkey said.

During the board's committee of the whole meeting, Nitchkey said there are many positives in the plan for the board to consider. In addition to placing all students on one campus, the plan includes a new fire suppression sprinkler system at the high school, a second gym and cafeteria as part of the additions and an additional 79 parking spaces at the high school's southeast entrance.

The plan also maximizes the available space in the two school buildings, removes the maintenance of three "aging facilities" and allows for only one building transition for students, he said.

The negatives, Nitchkey said, include losing three gymnasium spaces across the district and having additional traffic at the high school campus. He said the potential exists for uncovering costly, unforeseen conditions, which could result in "significant compromises" in order to maintain the budget.

Other options under consideration

The district is also considering other options for its consolidation plans, including one that would restructure the intermediate school in Lilly to grades 1-6 and the high school to grades 7-12. Under that plan, the pre-primary school would remain for grades pre-K through kindergarten, closing the middle school in Gallitzin and the primary school in Lilly. The cost would range between $61 million and $64 million, according to Nitchkey.

Another option considered would see the district operating two schools, which would result in only one building transition for students. Under that plan, the intermediate school would be restructured for grades pre-K through sixth grade. The high school would be restructured for grades 7-12. Nitchkey said the cost estimate for that option ranges between $62 million and $65 million.

Board President Michael Sheehan said out of the 13 options the board has considered to date, he feels option 12A "is the logical one" to pursue. Nitchkey said the project's rough order magnitude cost estimate ranges between $60 million and $63 million, which is at least $5 million more than what the district can legally borrow for the project, according to Melissa Hughes, a senior managing consultant at PFM Financial Advisors LLC, the district's independent municipal adviser.

Hughes said the amount the district can legally borrow, about $55 million, will slightly increase every year on July 1. Although she doesn't know how much it will increase, she told board members it could increase nearly $2 million every year. The district's affordable borrowing capacity is about $49 million, meaning the district will have to cut at least $11 million from the project, if they move forward with option 12A.

According to Hughes, it's possible for Penn Cambria to pursue the proposed plan since the district's borrowing capacity will grow over the course of the project. However, it "would be very challenging to do a project of that dollar magnitude" because the district would need to use every dollar of its borrowing capacity, she told board member Guy Monica.

"I think that's a conversation we'll have to have," she said.

Sheehan stressed the $60 million figure is "an all-in number" with room for projects to move and change over time.

Business Administrator Jill Francisco said, even if Penn Cambria raises taxes during the course of the project, the district still has to scale back the project and prioritize needs for transportation, traffic, cafeterias, special education classrooms and gymnasiums -- all of which were discussed during the meeting that was attended by about 40 residents.

Stakeholders weigh in on concerns

Cresson Township resident Lisa Miller said she supports the idea of having a centralized campus in Cresson, noting she has multiple children in the district, which makes it difficult to go to school buildings in different municipalities for events.

Miller said many of the district's buildings are not air conditioned. She asked board members not to "band-aid things" as they're considering their options.

Francisco said the school applied for a grant through the state Department of Community and Economic Development's public school facility improvement grant program. If grant funding is secured, the district could complete a $5 million project for about $1.5 million, she said.

"That would be huge for the district, so any of these wishlist items that we'd like to have but maybe can't do now doesn't mean we're not going to be able to have them in the future," Francisco said.

"We might not be able to get it all right now, but going forward we're going to keep our eye on these opportunities and try to make the most of them," she said.

Cresson resident John Bianconi suggested the district should consider adding another story to the high school rather than expanding the building with an addition.

At 6 p.m. today in the pre-primary school in Cresson and at 7:30 p.m. in the primary school in Lilly, the board will conduct public hearings to gather feedback from stakeholders as they consider closing the schools.

The board is set to approve additional hearings at their meeting next week for the intermediate and middle schools.

Superintendent Jamie Hartline said the board cannot vote to close any of its buildings until after a 90-day "cool down" period expires in November. Hartline stressed the district does not have to commit to closing any of its buildings after holding the hearings. The hearings are meant to gather public input while the district considers its options, he said.

"The purpose of that is so we can keep the process moving and we are not handcuffed by the 90-day wait period," Hartline said.

Hartline said the district had a water infiltration problem in the middle school's second story this spring that "forced the district to kind of hit the reset button" on its feasibility study, which began in October 2022.

"When we discovered that issue, we pulled back some of the interior walls and discovered some structural issues, as well as the water coming in," he said.

According to Hartline, the cost to demolish just the second story of the middle school is about $2.1 million. To repair the story, the lowest bid was $8 million, with bids ranging up to $14 million, he said.

High school projects addressed

SitelogIQ vice president of operations Mike Arnold said the high school's roofing project is underway with three phases complete and five more that will wrap up in September. Arnold said there is some masonry remedial work being done to the roof as well.

"Things are moving pretty well," he said to the board.

Inside the school, the district abated the existing flooring on both floors. As of Tuesday, there was only one classroom left on the second floor that needed new flooring installed. However, Arnold said the installation is scheduled to be complete by this weekend.

Regarding the high school's boiler replacement project, Arnold said the work should conclude in the fall.

"We are working out the details as to how to get that equipment out and get the new boilers in," he said, adding testing of existing heating, ventilation and air conditioning piping and domestic water piping has started.

The HVAC piping was in good shape, but the domestic water piping is in "poor shape," he said, noting the piping will be replaced prior to the start of school next Thursday.

Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520.

If you go

What: Public hearings to gather feedback about Penn Cambria School District's options for the future

When: Two sessions today, Thursday, Aug. 15

Where: 6 p.m. in the pre-primary school in Cresson and 7:30 p.m. in the primary school in Lilly