Board approves $36,800 facilities assessment for McKeesport Area High School
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
The McKeesport Area School District board approved hiring Draw Collective Architecture for a facilities assessment at McKeesport Area High School at a cost not to exceed $36,800, with funding from the capital improvement fund and results to be presented publicly.
The McKeesport Area School District board voted Dec. 11 to approve a facilities assessment for McKeesport Area High School, authorizing Draw Collective Architecture to perform the study at a cost not to exceed $36,800 to be paid from the district’s capital improvement fund, pending contract finalization with the solicitor.
Board members discussed the scope of the study and how the firm will present findings publicly. Committee members described the assessment as a building-condition review that will identify needs, prioritize required vs. desired projects, and estimate renovation costs should the board choose to move forward on construction.
One board member raised concerns rooted in a prior contract experience with a different architect, saying the district previously paid for drawings it did not receive. That same board member said he supports renovating the high school but planned to vote against approving this vendor tonight. "The high school needs renovated. There's no question... I'll be more than happy to give you an explanation, and I will vote no against this tonight," the member said.
During roll call the motion carried with the following recorded votes: Mr. Donato — yes; Mrs. Elias — yes; Mr. Holtzman — no; Mr. Keller — yes; Mr. Kovach — yes; Mr. Pavlicek — yes; Ms. Payne — yes; Mr. Seropian — yes. The motion carried.
The board’s athletic committee also noted a $250,000 grant from the Thomas Dahl Foundation (described in the meeting as associated with the Pittsburgh Steelers’ "Keys") that will help fund turf replacement; committee members said the assessment is a separate, study-only step and that any construction or contract for renovation would require additional board approvals and contracting.
The assessment is intended to inform options for renovating the high school and will be made available to the public when completed. The contract approved at this meeting covers only the study and not construction or follow-on design work.