William Penn says $7 million Department of Energy grant will fund part of Cypress High School electrification; total cost far higher

Darnell Dees, chief of operations for the William Penn School District, told attendees at the Yeadon mayor’s forum that the district received roughly $7,000,000 from the U.S. Department of Energy to support a large-scale electrification and decarbonization project at Cypress High School, the district’s ninth-grade campus.

The grant "will not cover the complete cost of the project," Dees said, and the district estimates the full renovation could initially cost between $32 million and $40 million. Dees said the project is part of the district’s 10-year facilities master plan and described a four-phase approach that begins with accessibility improvements and a two-story addition on Bailey Road that would house a new main office and three STEM labs.

Dees said Phase 1 will focus on ADA compliance and on systems the grant specifically reimburses, and that subsequent phases will upgrade HVAC, electrical and plumbing systems, renovate classrooms and create an accessible route from the main building to the gym. "It is our hope and is our goal to hopefully break ground, the beginning part of the summer of 2025," he said, adding the district aims to complete major work by August 2027 and, depending on funding and other projects, pursue additional reconfiguration by August 2028.

Dees described the DOE award as a reimbursable grant, meaning the district must complete work and then apply to be paid back. He said the district plans to combine grants with borrowing already included in its budget plan and that it will pause phases if required grants do not materialize: "If we do not have the grants in place that we would like to have, then we will pause because we can't assume the burden," Dees said.

Residents pressed Dees on whether the district's recent accounting and budgeting issues would increase taxpayers' obligations. Dees said the bookkeeping problems are separate from the operations team’s work and characterized the district’s current budget and borrowing as "well within the lines of everything that we are expecting to do," while noting that final decisions about taxes or other measures lie with the board of education.

Dees said the district had performed a facilities condition index that ranked buildings and produced the 10-year plan; schools with the worst conditions were prioritized. He added that the district has secured more than $5,000,000 in other facilities grants for projects such as an elevator at Bell Avenue and that any borrowing was already reflected in the district’s budget forecasts.

Dees said the district will launch a project page on the district website with renderings, timelines and a schedule for an in-person community meeting in April at Cypress where residents can ask questions of district staff and architects.

The district will present bids as they are received to the board of directors; Dees said each piece of work taken forward will require a board vote.

The presentation generated questions about timeline, funding sources and the district's plan to avoid placing additional burdens on taxpayers; Dees repeatedly said decisions about taxes or other fiscal steps would be made by the board.

Dees provided contact information and asked residents to email questions; he said he would respond within 48 hours.