Derry Area SD hears $39.9 million two‑phase modernization plan; board told financing window favors action now

DERRY — Consultants from McClure presented a two‑phase facilities modernization and energy‑savings plan to the Derry Area School District board on Thursday that would replace classroom units, rooftop HVAC, roof sections, electrical switchgear and many building systems across the middle and high schools and Grandview Elementary.

The district heard a high‑level investment grade audit and a cost matrix that the consultants say totals $39,900,000; McClure's materials estimate 20‑year energy and operational savings of about $2,300,000. The board’s finance advisers told members that current municipal market conditions make Borro wing now attractive and that the district could consider a targeted $10 million borrowing by the end of the calendar year.

Why it matters: the project would modernize aging HVAC and electrical systems that district staff and consultants said cause comfort, maintenance and safety challenges; the board was also reminded that the district will be debt free in the 2027–28 school year, which affects timing for any new borrowing and the district’s capacity to take on work without increasing near‑term debt service.

The McClure team laid out a phased approach. Phase 1 centers on the middle school with selected upgrades at Grandview Elementary; phase 2 would focus on the high school with some work at the district’s agriculture/horticulture building. McClure recommended replacing classroom unit ventilators with self‑contained tall vertical heat…