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Operations committee reviews gym floors, pool timing, chiller options and recommends Quandell for construction role
Summary
The Scranton operations committee reviewed a slate of facility repairs — gym floors, pool timing system, stadium lighting, HVAC/chiller options and elevators — and will forward a recommendation to appoint Quandell as the district's Centimeters to the Sept. 29 work session for public deliberation.
The Scranton School District operations committee on Sept. 24 reviewed multiple facility and capital items ranging from gym floors and pool timing systems to a long-term chiller replacement study and elevator repairs.
On athletics and school facilities, staff presented a cooperative-purchase quote to restore the Scranton High gym floor (initially $54,000; a modification adding volleyball inserts raised the estimate to about $56,001.20) and a separate West Intermediate gym-floor repair estimate of $29,004.10. "If it becomes a safety issue... at $29,000, that might be worth doing," one director said about the West Intermediate repairs. Administrators said the gym-floor funding would come from capital reserves; Laffey estimated the district's capital reserve balance at about $27,000,000.
The pool timing system at Scranton High is failing and staff said a cooperative purchase including installation is approximately $55,000 with component lead times ranging widely; staff recommended moving forward to avoid missing the November swim season. Facilities staff also discussed stadium and field lighting projects and said engaging PPL for a dedicated field service may be less costly than replacing underground vault cabling (rough rough material estimate cited around $100,000 for a full replacement).
On McNichols Plaza, staff described renting a temporary chiller after a frozen water-line incident and reviewed replacement options. A full rip-and-replace HVAC and chiller package was estimated in the district's 2023 feasibility work at about $4,481,630.91; modular VRF or other modern alternatives were discussed with rough estimates of $1.1–$1.5 million. Staff noted rental costs continue while the district evaluates replacement options.
Directors also discussed facility-condition items including undersized interior sanitary/storm piping that contributed to recent interior flooding; crews are "daylighting" roof drains to discharge outside while longer-term storm connections are planned. Board members requested photos of obsolete elevator parts in the administration building so a local machine shop could assess whether custom fabrication could restore service to an elevator that has been out of order for about three years.
Finally, the operations committee agreed to forward a recommendation to the Sept. 29 work session to appoint Quandell as the district's Centimeters based on the firm's prior work in the district. "I'd like to... recommend Quandell," Director Borthwick said, citing local project experience. The appointment will undergo public deliberation at the work session and a full-board vote in October.
