The Conewago Valley School District Board of Directors faced extended discussion about the Adams County Technical Institute expansion after a board member and members of the public said the project’s scope and cost grew sharply between late 2023 and early 2024.

Board and public attention centered on a wide increase in reported square footage and project cost between presentations in 2023 and a January 2024 update. The board approved routine finance items 1 and 2 by roll call; board members continued to debate the larger CTE project and a separate finance agenda item (item 3) prompted extended comment but no final vote on additional spending was recorded during the meeting.

Why it matters: The CTE expansion is one of the district’s largest capital efforts and any increase in scope or cost can affect construction schedules, bond needs and future budget discussions. Speakers raised questions about timing of scope updates, how the feasibility study evolved and whether board process and notice were sufficient ahead of larger cost estimates.

Board member comments and questions drove much of the discussion. One board member who identified herself in public comment said she would oppose finance measures going forward because she believed the project’s square footage and cost “grew vastly” after the last meeting before an election and that the board had not approved the larger figures in advance. She said she had distributed a spreadsheet to attendees showing the timeline and would “be voting no on finances this evening and anything pertaining to financials from here on out.” (Speaker listed in the transcript as Miss Scrut; identified in the meeting as a board member and commenter.)

Superintendent Doctor Perry told the board the scope changes reflected the feasibility study’s natural progression rather than election timing. “The scope of the project changed due to the timing, but not because it had anything to do with board elections,” Doctor Perry said. He described a sequence of feasibility iterations beginning in 2021 and explained that as the district refined program needs and curriculum alignment the estimate rose.

Discussion participants cited specific figures that were presented during the process: earlier briefings had shown about 64,700 square feet with estimated costs in a lower range; later presentations increased the footprint and raised the budget for the CTE scope. Board members and public commenters also raised safety and oversight questions about on-site work, noting a near miss involving an excavation adjacent to a gas regulator and asking whether additional safety oversight was warranted.

Board procedure and next steps were discussed at length. Board leadership noted the district had scheduled an Act 34 hearing to establish the final scope and maximum project amount, and that the board cannot exceed that maximum without further public vote. Several board members said additional briefings and a second informational session had been scheduled to ensure new members and the public had full context before major decisions.

The meeting record shows the board carried a motion to approve finance items 1 and 2 by roll call (see the Votes at a glance article for the full tally). The separate finance agenda item 3 generated sustained public and board comment; the superintendent and other board members said they would follow up with presentation materials and that the Act 34 hearing establishes the final scope and maximum amount the board may approve.

The board did not adopt any new spending authorization for the broader CTE scope during this meeting; board members and staff agreed to continue briefing the board and the public before further finance votes.