Manheim Township board awards RLPS contract for Phase 3 campus plan; architect to complete Mitchell Rauer feasibility study

The Manheim Township School Board approved a time‑and‑materials contract to RLPS Architects with a maximum not‑to‑exceed amount of $1,332,400 to develop design and bid documents for Phase 3 of the district campus master plan.

The vote followed a lengthy committee of the whole discussion about scope, budget priorities and process. The district’s plant manager, Chris Koch, told the committee the contract would be billed only for hours worked and would cover the items identified for Phase 3: bleacher upgrades, visiting team rooms, pavilion and stadium seating, a new stadium parking lot, improved ticketing and concession areas, scoreboards and softball/baseball improvements. Koch said the work would move forward on a time‑and‑materials basis with a “maximum not to exceed of $1,332,400.”

An RLPS partner told the committee the firm is also leading a feasibility study for Mitchell Rauer Elementary School that began in September and will run through February. The firm described the study in three parts — discovery, analysis and options development — with community engagement (focus groups and a community survey) planned for November and a town hall at Mitchell Rauer. The partner said the study will evaluate the building using a facility assessment and an educational design brief and will produce multiple options, typically: a renovation baseline, a renovation plus major addition and a new building. “We divide it into three parts of the feasibility study: the discovery, the analysis, and the options development,” the RLPS partner said.

Board members repeatedly pressed for additional budget and program clarity. Multiple members said they want Phase 3 reviewed holistically alongside education‑centered projects — especially the Mitchell Rauer work — and asked for clearer multiyear cost figures and priorities before finalizing scope. Administrators told the committee the district has planning authority to borrow under an existing authorization and that reserves and refinanced savings have been used to support projects: the administration stated the district has approximately $16 million in reserves and referenced prior refinancing and a broader borrowing authorization that district staff said could provide capacity without increasing the current tax rate.

Several board members urged the district to prioritize safety and ADA accessibility in any athletics work. Others urged the board not to delay work that affects student safety and access, saying temporary fixes have accumulated over time. Board members and RLPS agreed the firm will “challenge” assumptions in the current item list, apply a must/should/could/won’t prioritization, and return with refined programming, cost estimates and an evaluation matrix.

Two members of the public — Mark Evans, a coach and school counselor, and Todd Ecklund, president of the Manheim Township Dugout Club — spoke during public comment in favor of athletics upgrades. Evans said improved locker rooms and storage near playing fields would increase efficiency and give student athletes more time for academics; Ecklund urged the board not to repeatedly delay athletic facility upgrades.

The board approved the contract by roll‑call vote. The administration and RLPS said they will present conceptual plans and refined cost information to the board; RLPS will continue monthly updates to the facilities committee from November through February and will return with options for the Mitchell Rauer feasibility study. Submissions to Manheim Township zoning and land‑development review are planned after conceptual approval.