Facilities staff report roof leaks, aging mechanical systems; boiler piping contract awarded

Leah Mulhart, chair of the Cheltenham School District facilities committee, opened the meeting and turned the update over to district staff, who described multiple building-maintenance needs across district properties.

District facilities staff reported that the administration building’s slate roof is failing in places, with “soft spots” and ponding that has led to leaks near the assistant superintendent’s office and the main corridor. "It's possible for someone to fall through if they're not paying attention," said Mr. Carter, a district staff member who presented the facilities update. Staff said they recommend localized repairs rather than a full roof replacement because the district expects to vacate the building “within two years,” a timetable that Dr. Scribe, a meeting participant, said the district has not formally planned or decided. "I do not know, nor have we made any plans for [an] exit plan within 2 years," Dr. Scribe said.

The presentation also identified system failures at Myers Elementary that district staff attributed to aging equipment. Mr. Carter said the building’s Siemens fire panel is outdated, producing false ground-fault readings, and cannot be updated; the recommendation is full replacement. He said the building’s chiller is about 18 to 20 years old and that the building-management system (BMS) is not communicating with pumps and dampers, forcing manual control. "Because of the cost of what it would be to buy parts, it's more effective to replace the system," Mr. Carter said, summarizing an outside contractor’s recommendation.

On mechanical repairs elsewhere, Mr. Carter said Hershberg was awarded the contract to replace 2-inch and 3-inch piping in a boiler room; the work will require scaffolding inside the boiler space to reach and replace the sewer/boiler piping that serves second-floor restrooms. He said the district received three bids, including from Chadwick Grama, and that Hershberg was the lowest bidder.

Committee members asked procedural and cost-threshold questions about procurement. A committee member noted a dollar threshold for requiring formal bidding; staff responded that the fire-panel work came in below that threshold and therefore did not trigger a different procurement step. The minutes from the May meeting were approved at the start of the session; the record shows a motion and second and a voice vote of "aye." The committee later moved to adjourn.

The facilities staff also thanked grounds and custodial crews for setting up chairs and staging for graduation, noting the district’s maintenance teams handled site work for the ceremony.

The meeting record does not show formal votes to adopt large capital projects or to replace the district’s administration building; staff framed most items as recommended repairs or contractor awards with next steps through normal procurement processes.