Facilities committee seeks boiler design for Paxton Hollow; shed purchase and community rentals presented

The Marple Newtown School District Facilities and Transportation Committee on March 11 presented several facilities and community-use items to the board, including design work for aging boilers at Paxton Hollow and routine facility rental requests.

Committee chair David Desi asked the board to approve Bonnet Medica Associates for the mechanical and architectural design work for boilers at Paxton Hollow, which he said are “right in between 26 years old right now.” Desi said the committee hopes to complete design in April and present a replacement recommendation possibly in May.

Desi also presented a purchase of a shed for Russell Elementary School with a not-to-exceed price of $13,000. He said the final cost may change if township-required tie-downs or a small concrete pad are required; he expected a firm number by the beginning of the following week.

The committee reviewed community-rental requests: the American Hellenic Educational Association asked to rent the district track Saturday, May 10, for an all-day event from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Desi said the district’s prom is May 9 and he did not anticipate a conflict. The rental was presented under district Policy 707 at a rate Desi identified as $450 per hour. The committee also presented a Mini Model United Nations scheduled for Saturday, May 17, to be held in the high school’s history wing, with other local Delaware County schools participating.

Transportation items were reported as unchanged; no transportation report was presented. The transcript does not record final votes on the facilities items.