Manheim Township board selects RLPS to study options for Trower Elementary

The Manheim Township School District Board of School Directors voted to retain RLPS Architects to perform a phase 1 study for Trower Elementary School, approving a $24,900 fee that will be fully reimbursed if the district advances the firm to phase 2 work.

District staff described phase 1 as an investigative study that will analyze options for the school and produce cost estimates and recommendations among three paths: renovate the existing building without an addition, renovate and add approximately 40,000 square feet, or build a new roughly 140,000-square-foot school and later demolish the existing building. The board emphasized that the action taken on Aug. 14 covers only phase 1 work; future phases would require separate approvals.

Why it matters: The phase 1 study will shape a multi-year facilities decision affecting students, staff and local taxpayers. Board members said they moved the facilities discussion into a public board meeting as an interim step toward creating a formal facilities committee, a policy change that the board expects to take up for first and second readings in September and October.

District staff said the selection process began with four pre-vetted firms; after interviews in July the field narrowed to two finalists, RLPS and the Schrader Group. Zach (district staff) reported the firms’ phase 1 proposals: “Phase 1, RLPS fees is $24,900. Phase 1 fees for the Schrader Group were $55,880,” and noted that both firms would reimburse the phase 1 fee if the district advances them to phase 2.

Zach also summarized hypothetical design fees for a $40 million project and said the two firms’ proposed total-project fees are generally in the range of 5–6 percent of total construction cost, though staff emphasized those numbers are estimates to inform planning and would be subject to negotiation in a later phase.

Board members debated the timing and format of the meeting. Several members said the district’s previous practice had been to vet firms in small administrative or advisory meetings and bring a single recommendation to the full board; the board announced the shift toward more transparent, committee-based review so the full board and public could participate earlier in the process. The board’s announcements also said Board member Erin Hoffman did not participate in the selection process and recused herself because she is employed by one of the firms under consideration.

Members asked staff to provide more detail about fees for later master-plan phases and to negotiate as the process moves forward. Board member Romano and others flagged the apparent cost difference between some phase estimates and asked staff to seek clarification and better pricing where appropriate.

A parent who spoke during the action-item public comment period, Colleen Santatina, said the community seeks clarity on timing and interim fixes: “I’m a parent of four kids in the district… I’m interested in what the timeline looks like for those three [options] and how it would affect the teachers and students,” she said, and asked how the district will mitigate current HVAC, water-quality and pest issues while the longer planning and construction process proceeds.

After a brief motion-and-vote, the board approved the motion to retain RLPS Architects for phase 1 at $24,900, with the fee to be reimbursed if the district advances the firm for phase 2 design work. The board noted there will be additional opportunities for public comment and further board votes on later phases and any committee-structure policy change.

The district announced the next regular board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, at 6 p.m. at the district office; the board expects to present the proposed committee policy and related items in future meetings.