BASD staff outline facility work: Fountain Hill bids, energy grant, lead tests and license for 315 Columbia

District facilities staff updated the Bethlehem Area School District Facilities Committee on a slate of capital projects and facilities issues the committee is expected to consider at the board’s Feb. 24 meeting.

The most time‑sensitive item is the Fountain Hill Elementary School replacement project, staff said. The project was put out to bid and staff reported dozens of contractors submitted questions and that bids were due Feb. 18; staff said they expect to present award recommendations at the next facilities meeting.

Why it matters: Fountain Hill is a major construction project for the district and the competitive response to the bid will determine final contractor selection and schedule.

Staff also reviewed several other capital projects that the board will be asked to approve, including summer work that was budgeted late last year. Those projects include hot‑water heater replacements at Liberty High School and Marvine Elementary School, an auditorium renovation at Freedom High School (with an accompanying asbestos abatement contract), grease trap replacements at Miller Heights and Farmersville, and a roof replacement at Governor Wolf Elementary. Staff said the hot‑water work came in under the engineer’s estimate and the recommended award for those heaters is $424,000 to ASL. The Governor Wolf roof bid came in at about $1.5 million, lower than the $1.8 million the district had planned to budget.

Staff emphasized the district has prioritized thorough pre‑bid meetings and walkthroughs to attract experienced contractors. Facilities staff thanked district personnel who led the pre‑bid meetings and said strong contractor turnout bodes well for competitive pricing and timely work.

Energy and electric‑bus research

Staff reported a City of Bethlehem Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) of $60,000 that the district proposes to use toward a lighting retrofit at Marvine Elementary School. They said the district has a list of candidate projects and will select the option that uses the $60,000 most efficiently.

Staff also said district leaders have been in touch with an interdisciplinary research group at Lehigh University interested in studying the district’s electric school‑bus data; staff described the initiative as a potential research partnership to inform faculty, staff and students and said the institute has done similar work with a transit system in California.

Lead testing and water fixtures

Facilities staff presented results from the district’s 2024–25 lead testing program. Staff said two fountain samples exceeded the EPA action level of 15 parts per billion: one fountain at East Hills (which staff said has already been closed and replaced) and a fountain at Thomas Jefferson (TJ), where temporary bottled/portable water coolers are in place while the district plans a longer‑term point‑of‑use filtering solution for that building.

License for 315 Columbia Street

The board packet will include a proposed license agreement for 315 Columbia Street in South Bethlehem. Staff said the district purchased the building last year and one commercial tenant — a caterer — requested to stay on the site. Facilities staff said the proposed license will allow the tenant to occupy the space for a short, defined term while the district continues to carry the property; staff told the committee the expected rent is about $4,000 per month and that the district does not expect the arrangement to be budget‑neutral but that revenue helps offset carrying costs.

Staff said VOTEC does not currently occupy the building; district staff explained the earliest expected start of construction connected to VOTEC’s plans was “a little over a year” away, and that any construction start would require tenants to vacate. Committee members asked whether the license includes contingencies in the event the district transfers the building or begins construction; staff said final wording would be handled by the solicitor before the item goes to the full board.

No formal votes were recorded in the transcript of the facilities committee discussion. Staff indicated many of the agenda items will move to the full board with award recommendations or grant acceptance language for action.

What’s next

Staff said they plan to present Fountain Hill award recommendations at a future facilities meeting and will bring the license agreement for 315 Columbia Street back after solicitor review. The district will implement point‑of‑use filtration at TJ and has already replaced and closed the East Hills fountain that tested above the EPA action level.