A board member sharply questioned changes to the Conewago Valley School District’s planned Adams County Technical Institute expansion and announced she would vote no on finance matters, while the board approved finance items 1 and 2 by roll call.

Board member Miss Scrut said the CTE project grew “vastly in square footage and cost” between the most recent pre-election presentations and later estimates, that new numbers were presented Jan. 8, 2024, and that she believed the timing and presentation of those figures had been crafted “right around the upcoming election.” She urged greater transparency and said she would vote no on financial items related to the project going forward. “I do not wanna cause the district, teachers, kids, and citizens harm, but harm is being done,” Miss Scrut said during the public board meeting.

Superintendent Sharon Perry (Dr. Perry) and other board members responded that the project scope increased through the normal feasibility and design process—adding classrooms and other programmed space as needs were refined—and that cost changes reflected those scope changes. “The scope of the project changed due to the timing, but not because it had anything to do with elections,” Dr. Perry said, describing the change as the “natural progression of the feasibility study” and noting earlier iterations had lower-cost options.

The board also addressed a safety concern raised by Miss Scrut about excavation near a gas regulator. She said contractors used mechanical equipment “right up against a gas regulator” and questioned whether required hand-digging distances were observed. Miss Scrut said parents received communications about meal changes but were not informed of the gas incident. Board members said they would seek clarification from staff about the incident and whether safety procedures and contractor oversight were followed.

Separately, the board chair clarified that a local political action committee, referred to in the discussion as “Colonials for Our Schools,” is separate from the teachers’ union (the PSEA) and that the PSEA had not issued an endorsement of candidates for the board. The chair said the Act 34 hearing—required public disclosure and approval of scope and maximum cost for school construction—had been approved and that the board cannot exceed a maximum amount without another public vote.

Votes and next steps: The board voted to add an agenda item allowing a public comment on finances (agenda item 3). That motion passed by roll call (yes: Mister Buckley; Mister Beckley; Missus Swope; Miss Cruz; Missus Miller; Mister Getz; no: Mister Flickinger; Mister Kinship; Missus Salter absent). The board then carried the motion to take action on finance items 1 and 2 and approved them by roll call (yes: Mister Buckley; Mister Beckley; Missus Swope; Mister Flickinger; Missus Miller; Mister Getz; Mister Kinchin; no: Miss Krug).

Board members discussed whether to move up the Act 34 hearing to provide incoming board members additional time to review the project. Dr. Perry said staff can consider scheduling adjustments and that the January 8 presentation and subsequent briefings are available online for public review.

Why it matters: The CTE expansion is a major capital project for the district and could change building square footage and long-term costs. Project scope and timeline clarifications, contractor oversight and safety practices, and the public process for authorizing construction spending were central to the exchange.

The board did not adopt any new funding action beyond the votes recorded tonight; the Act 34 materials and presentation slides remain available online for public inspection, and board members signaled they would follow up with staff for additional safety and scope documentation.