York Suburban outlines two‑phase high school renovation after engineering delay
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Summary
District staff said a mechanical engineer delay pushed major building documents to mid‑2026. Staff proposed a two‑phase bidding approach: site work and modulars first, then building construction next summer, to preserve schedule and increase teacher engagement in design.
District staff presented a revised schedule July 28 for the high school renovation after engineers said they could not meet the district’s earlier document deadlines.
Seth Wentz, the staff presenter, told the board the mechanical engineering team reported they would need until June 2026 to complete construction documents. To avoid delaying essential site work and the overall schedule, staff proposed two procurement phases: a first bid package for site improvements and modular units that can be executed in summer months, and a second bid package for the main building renovation to be released in June–July 2026.
Wentz said the first phase would include expansion of the parking lot, stormwater improvements along Hollywood and Southern, grading and the installation of modular classroom units to provide displacement space during later renovation. "This schedule and this proposal was reviewed with the civil engineers... and all believe that this is achievable," he said, adding the front‑of‑school work and modular installation are summer projects.
Board members questioned grading and stormwater testing for the proposed parking expansion. Wentz said additional infiltration testing was under way and that results would determine whether a retention basin or subsurface storage under the parking lot was required.
On building interiors, staff showed plans for the gymnasium, auxiliary gym, the natatorium and locker rooms, and described sequencing so that the new natatorium and its attached locker rooms would be brought online before other locker rooms were taken offline. "So even though it's for the work, those locker rooms are right here off the screen... So nobody's without the ability to change during construction," Wentz said.
Staff also said the extended timeline gives more opportunities for teacher and staff engagement in design; the district plans expanded meetings with educators to refine room sizes and adjacencies.
No formal vote was required on the phased approach during the July 28 meeting; staff presented the schedule for board awareness and future action when procurement documents are ready.
