Public Gets Peek At Final Set Of Proposed Upgrades To Elementary Schools

Concepts for the third phase of the Neshaminy School District’s Guaranteed Energy Savings Act (GESA)upgrades were presented to the public this week.

The proposal from Reynolds Energy Services would provide a variety of updates to Walter Miller Elementary School and adds a security feature to Pearl Buck Elementary School.

The concepts for Phase III of the work include providing air conditioning, upgrading HVAC systems and necessary electrical upgrades along with adding direct digital controls, adding  a security vestibule and possibly installing PECO gas service

PECO has estimated the price of adding gas service to Walter Miller, which is the only district school not to have a gas hook up, is more than $180,000. The existing boiler burners are already duel-fuel and can accommodate natural gas.

Jeff Harris of Reynolds explained at Tuesday evening’s Neshaminy School Board Facilities Ad Hoc Committee that the gas line installation will likely not be able to be completed until after summer. He said Reynolds will work with PECO and look for grants to lower the cost of installing the gas line.

At Pearl Buck, the scope of the proposal includes adding a a security vestibule to the entrance to the school. Similar upgrades have already been carried out at all the elementary schools except for Pearl Buck and Walter Miller.

The first estimate for Phase III is just over $3 million, but Reynolds is still awaiting final bids from its contractors, according to Damion Spahr of Reynolds.

Phase III is the final of Pennsylvania’s GESA program upgrades to the district’s buildings. Some more minor projects will be completed over the next year at various schools.

The school board will hear a presentation on the final phase in the next year and then vote on whether or not to approve the work.

At Tuesday evening’s meeting, only a handful of members of the public attended.

Between energy upgrades and the shuttering of three elementary schools, the district is saving around $3 million per year, district business administrator Barbara Markowitz said. She added the money is being reinvested to help fund educational programs.

Board member Stephen Pirritano said the total cost of the GESA upgrades and construction of the new Tawanka Elementary School in Lower Southampton is expected to be around $60 million, much of which was borrowed. He said the Tawanka school came in about $4 million under the initial budget.

The end of the GESA work will complete the district’s roadmap plan that aimed to better use facilities and reduce expenses.