Pennsbury board hears detailed update on new high school design, schedule and rising cost risks

Architects from KCBA and construction managers from SiteLogic updated the Pennsbury School Board on the new high school project on Thursday, describing progress on drawings, a tentative schedule and cost estimates but warning of material-price increases and the need for alternate bid packages.

The presentation came during the monthly facilities update, where Mike Strohecker of KCBA Architects said the team is "roughly 50% through construction documents" and expects to start construction in spring 2026 with a four-year construction period and subsequent demolition of existing buildings on the site.

Why it matters: The district and the public are weighing a multiyear construction program, land-development approvals and multiple technical risks (geotechnical, stormwater and site remediation) while the district tightens fiscal planning. Community members who live near the proposed site spoke at public comment, saying the board needs more external review of buildability, cost and potential impacts to neighbors.

KCBA presentation and design details Mike Strohecker (KCBA Architects) told the board the project team remains in frequent coordination with consultants and with Falls Township planning staff. He listed consultants involved in design (Snyder Hoffman Associates; Terraform Engineering; mechanical, electrical and plumbing consultants; theater and pool consultants) and said the team has prepared extensive drawings and finish samples to refine interior and exterior materials.

KCBA—s Miranda Esposito presented renderings and site plans showing a three-zone building (administration/performing arts, a three-story academic core, and an athletics/cafeteria wing), a separate bus loop, parent drop-off, learning stairs and courtyard spaces. Esposito said the auditorium is sized to seat roughly 1,000 people (about 800 on the ground level and 200 on a retractable balcony) and that the design includes a media-center courtyard, gallery space for student art, and multiple flexible performance and breakout spaces.

Schedule, approvals and permitting Strohecker said the team submitted a preliminary final land-development package to Falls Township and hoped to be on the June planning commission agenda after the township—s review. He told the board they plan an Act 34 hearing "tentatively looking at early September" once the design-development estimate is incorporated into required forms.

SiteLogic cost estimate and procurement approach Michael Pickens, SiteLogic—s pre-construction manager, presented a design-development estimate and procurement strategy. Pickens reported a design-development (DD) total estimate of about $269 million and said the construction portion of the estimate (including site work) yields an all-inclusive per-square-foot number of about $485 and roughly $412 per square foot for the building alone. He warned of recent material-price increases and listed several categories with upward pressure (for example, switchgear, variable-frequency drives, light fixtures, auditorium and AV equipment, steel and reinforcing bar).

Pickens described contingency planning for bid day: breaking the work into prime packages (general construction, masonry, steel, roofing, plumbing, mechanical, electrical, demolition) and retaining a single electrical prime package to ensure competitive responses. He said the team is preparing deduct and add alternates so the board can make scope decisions depending on bids.

Geotechnical report and board questions about soils KCBA said a geotechnical report had been completed after 39 borings and 34 test pits; Strohecker summarized the report as "good" for the intended design and said it did not indicate the need for special deep foundations at the locations of proposed footings. Board members asked point-blank about groundwater, shifting soils and so-called "soft" zones. KCBA and SiteLogic representatives told the board the majority of groundwater is below planned footings, that the finished first-floor slab will be materially above existing grade in places, and that land-development stormwater requirements will prevent increased off-site runoff.

Public comment underscored technical and fiscal concerns Multiple residents and community members addressed the board during public comment. Robert Abrams (a Lower Makefield Township speaker who said he has experience in site remediation and the waste industry) told the board he found the borings/test-pit pattern to show both "hard" and "soft" areas across the site and estimated large quantities of unsuitable soil that could substantially increase disposal and haul costs. He said his calculations implied tens of millions of dollars of additional cost for handling unacceptable material.

Jennifer Metzger (neighbor, living across from the high school) and other speakers expressed concern about the scale of infill, the potential change to surrounding grading and water flow, and the prospect of rising taxes to pay for the project. Andrew Dell (Falls Township resident and school board candidate) questioned whether the district could afford the project and warned that competitive bidding can lead to contractors cutting corners.

Board discussion and next steps Board members and staff repeatedly emphasized that the design and cost estimates will continue to be refined and that additional coordination with Falls Township engineers and the district—s consultants is ongoing. KCBA and SiteLogic said more end-user meetings are planned, that finish selections will proceed in the coming months, and that the administration will present an Act 34 hearing packet once DD-level numbers are finalized.

What was not decided The meeting provided an update; the board did not take a vote on project authorization, financing or construction contracts at this session. Several public speakers requested additional outside review and more transparent, detailed cost breakdowns before any final approvals.

Looking ahead KCBA and SiteLogic recommended preparing deduct/add alternates for the bid and continuing geotechnical oversight during construction-document and bidding phases. The district and consultants expect to return with updated cost information and to pursue permitting steps with Falls Township in the coming weeks.

Ending: The board accepted the update and continued its consent-vote agenda; no action was taken on project authorization at this meeting.