Boyertown facilities director outlines capital needs; CHA proposes $15M HVAC/roof project, board asks for clearer district project management

Facilities and safety dominated the Boyertown Area School District Board’s March 11 meeting as staff outlined building conditions, capital projects, security upgrades and an outside design firm presented a proposed design/construct services engagement.

Michelle Veil, director of facilities, gave a districtwide facilities briefing covering staffing, work‑order volume and deferred components. She said the district operates 11 buildings across about 99 square miles and maintains three stadiums and 22 outbuildings. She listed the most common work orders (preventive maintenance, plumbing, HVAC and carpentry/hardware) and said custodial staffing and preventive filter programs produced a favorable indoor air quality letter from the district tester.

Capital projects and near‑term needs: Veil described items currently on the district’s capital list: replacement of a sealed mag‑bearing chiller motor at the high school (a manufacturer repair is recommended because the motor is sealed), parking‑lot crack sealing, a new direct door into Washington Elementary’s nurse suite, carpet replacement in an office, New Hanover foam roof restoration, gym/cafeteria floor tile replacement at Gilbertsville, access‑road repaving, curb repairs at Coburgdale and tennis court assessments. She said one outbuilding (410 North Avenue) is dilapidated and likely to be demolished; Pine Forge work will be handled through maintenance.

Security and safety: Chief Bohm described security changes including adding the district to county radio so school officers can communicate with local dispatch and other jurisdictions. He said the district now has four armed officers assigned (three district employees and one contractor) covering secondary and elementary schools; officers also teach Internet safety and vaping prevention. Bohm provided arrest statistics: for the 2023–24 school year there were 66 arrests in Berks County; for the current school year (August–early March) he reported 72 arrests in Berks County (plus additional undocketed incidents) and said tobacco/vape‑related incidents had risen. He also said bollards funded by a PCCD grant would be installed beginning in June and that administration is planning to add 50 security cameras to reduce blind spots.

District vehicles: Veil said facilities manages 24 district vehicles, including maintenance trucks, passenger vans and a box truck; several older vehicles are slated for replacement and staff are developing a replacement plan.

Design and construction proposal (Boyertown building HVAC/roof): At the board’s request administration obtained a study from CHA (consultant) for a heating/ventilation/electrical and roof replacement project for a district building (report referenced the unique in‑wall packages and recommended VRF systems, conversion from pneumatic controls to automated controls, new electrical switchgear and a new emergency generator; the total project cost estimate provided in the study was revised upward to about $15,000,000 when large classroom spaces were added). CHA representative Robert Lynch (CHA) said the proposal includes design and construction administration and that work is planned to be accomplished over two summers when students are not in the building. Lynch proposed a design/CA fee at roughly 7% of total project cost. The board asked for an updated proposal that explicitly lists the district project management roles and an organizational contact chart identifying who on the district side will serve as the project contact; administration said Facilities Director Michelle Veil (and district business office personnel) would be the internal point of contact and that change orders and major contract decisions would come back to the board.

IT capital projects: District technology staff presented a replenishment plan for student devices and infrastructure: a four‑year lease recommendation for Windows laptops used in grades 9–12, outright purchase for Chromebooks for fifth‑grade devices (expected five‑year life), a server/data‑center refresh, and an E‑rate eligible closet/switch refresh. The estimated switching/infrastructure cost was about $701,437 with an anticipated federal E‑rate reimbursement of about $343,657 (district share about $357,780). The district proposed leasing Dell laptops for approximately $95,750 per year and purchasing Chromebooks for roughly $158,480 from the Technology Reserve Fund; staff said they will not proceed with e‑rate‑funded infrastructure work until E‑rate approval is confirmed.

Next steps: Board members asked CHA for a revised proposal that (1) updates the $11.2M construction estimate to the revised $15M total project cost, (2) lists the district project team and lines of responsibility, and (3) clarifies on‑site observation staffing levels during construction. Administration will present a finalized agreement to the board for consideration at the March 25 meeting. Several board members emphasized they expect change orders and major budget changes to be brought to the full board for approval.

Ending: No construction contract or vendor was approved March 11. Administration will return with a revised CHA agreement and a district organizational chart and will present capital budget items during the March 25 budget discussion.