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Cheltenham facilities committee hears construction, budget updates as residents seek clearer agenda access
Summary
At its March 3 meeting, the Cheltenham School District Facilities Committee received a presentation from Mr. Carter and facilities staff on snow-response work, site staging at Glenside and Cedarbrook, bus-routing changes and the status of a $13 million stadium project; staff reported roughly $8.8 million spent and about $2.2 million remaining and said a state grant closed the high-school roof work.
Cheltenham School District’s Facilities Committee on March 3 received progress and budget updates for multiple construction projects and fielded public questions about agenda access and taxpayer concerns.
Mr. Carter, introduced by the committee chair, told members the district has been dealing with heavy snow and has focused crews on clearing parking areas and bus-loading zones at several schools, including Flint’s lot and Myers. He said trailers have been staged at Glenside and Cedarbrook to support upcoming construction and that staff have adjusted bus-loading patterns so smaller buses load at cafeteria areas while larger buses use the front of the building. On the stadium project, Carter said crews have been repairing concession areas, laying numerals/markings, and that two cement crews worked over the weekend to push work forward with a target of completing as much as possible before June, weather permitting.
Facilities staff member Diane Preempts provided the committee with the financial status of current projects. She said the district has an estimated $13 million stadium project and reported that the district has spent in the range of $8 million to $8.8 million to date and that roughly $2.2 million remains to be financed; she also reported about $754,000 in soft costs with roughly $700,000 remaining. Preempts said Cedarbrook and Glenside work to date is primarily architectural and engineering design fees (about $690,000 and $400,000, respectively). She added that the high-school roof project has been paid and closed out, with the district having received $900,000 from the state and filed for the remaining $100,000 pending approval.
On timing, Preempts said the district still needs permits to begin ground work and expected permitting "within a week or two," and that prime contractors met to revise the project timeline; she pledged to share the revised schedule with the board when it is available. The chair emphasized the importance of sharing schedule and budget updates with the broader community, noting the project’s scale and that residents are seeking regular status reports.
A committee member asked what happens to unused contingency funds; Preempts replied, "Correct. That goes back to the capital reserve fund." The committee approved routine minutes from the February facilities meeting by voice vote during the session. The meeting concluded after a public commenter raised concerns about finding the agenda and the share of local taxes funding the district; the chair walked the commenter through how to find meeting materials in BoardDocs.
Why it matters: The committee is overseeing multiple multi-million-dollar projects that affect traffic patterns, school access and local budgets. Staff warnings about permitting, weather and remaining contingency funds will shape whether the district meets its anticipated schedules and costs.
The committee did not take additional formal votes on construction contracts or schedule changes at this meeting; staff said they will return with a revised project timeline and further details as permitting and contractor coordination proceed. The chair adjourned the meeting after public comment and routine business.
