Octorara board reviews major facilities work including water tank replacement and HVAC options

The Octorara Area School District facilities committee reported to the school board on a slate of capital projects and maintenance needs, highlighting a proposed $971,000 scope to replace a cracked, leaking water tank and options for a middle-school HVAC upgrade that include traditional, hybrid (partial geothermal) and full geothermal systems.

Committee members said the HVAC work will require updated electrical infrastructure and reviewed life-cycle cost comparisons and potential well locations for geothermal systems. The committee also discussed a number of other projects planned for the coming year, including asbestos abatement in five middle-school rooms, reconversion of nine rooms, track resurfacing work, and targeted roof and RTU repairs.

The committee overview underscored why the work is being considered: the current water tank has cracks and leaks, the middle-school HVAC and several rooftop units are aged or failing, and classroom and auditorium repairs are part of maintaining building safety and operations. Committee speakers said the water-tank proposal contemplates moving the tank underground and gave a total scope figure of $971,000 for that replacement.

Committee discussion and vendor updates Committee members said vendors have visited the track for resurfacing bids and that the recommended approach for the track is a nonpermeable coating with minimal repairs intended to extend the surface life by about 10 years. For the softball field along Route 41 the committee said a screening project to prevent foul balls from reaching the highway will go out to bid; options discussed included a combined chain-link fence with netting or extending the backstop.

On building mechanicals, the committee reported an immediate need at the Primary Learning Center (PLC) for a chiller that is failing; the committee gave a replacement-cost figure of $456,000 for the PLC chiller. The committee also discussed replacing unit ventilators at the middle school with rooftop units (RTUs); one bid cited by the committee was from Freight Lutz at $87,468. The committee noted some RTU work is needed for the cafeteria, art room and special-needs spaces but did not provide a full dollar total for that package during the report.

Furniture, moving schedule and other contracts The committee reviewed a middle-school classroom furniture proposal from Corbett for 14 classrooms that the committee recited as approximately $169,196.50 (presented as a worst-case figure the committee said could be lower). The committee said moving day for the realignment will start July 1 and that classrooms should be ready for teachers the first week of July.

On service contracts, the committee reported a new custodial contract with Campus Service Group will reduce costs by about $44,000 because the primary learning center will no longer require nightly cleaning. The district will also renew its contract with BSGI for fire-equipment inspections.

Site compliance and fuel depot relocation The committee reported the district’s diesel fuel depot must be relocated because it is out of compliance with Department of Environmental Protection requirements and sits within 25 feet of a cell tower. The committee said the bid to move the diesel fuel depot from Ferguson to McCann was $69,356.

Process and next steps Committee members said the board will see specific bids and contract language as items move onto a future board agenda; at the meeting the committee presented updates and recommended proceeding to bid where applicable. No final board votes on the projects were recorded in the transcript of this meeting.

Why it matters Taken together, the projects the facilities committee previewed would affect day-to-day operations (cooling and heating), student and staff safety (asbestos abatement, water-tank integrity), and longer-term operating costs (HVAC lifecycle choices). The committee framed many items as either bid-ready or in vendor-evaluation stages and indicated the board will consider contract awards and budget approvals on future agendas.

What remains unresolved The committee provided estimated or bid figures for several items but left some totals and final vendor selections to later agenda items. Committee members also flagged potential alternatives for certain projects (for example, the Route 41 ball-screening options) and noted some figures presented were worst-case or subject to further pricing.