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Board approves Bell Avenue elevator contracts and multiple property change orders; grant, capital borrowing to cover balance
Summary
The board approved property committee items including prevailing wage and change orders and moved to contract SB Conrad for Bell Avenue elevator general construction ($887,000) and Borough Construction for mechanical work ($129,000). Operations said the remaining elevator cost after a state grant will be funded from recent capital borrowing.
During the property committee report the William Penn board reviewed and approved multiple construction-related change orders and bids, including the Bell Avenue Elementary elevator contracts and HVAC/air-quality equipment additions.
Property chair Jean Tong presented change orders for prevailing wage ($303,000), environmental removal ($80,410), People Utility ($11,933), and a bipolar-ionization addition ($22,000) tied to DOE grant requirements. Tong read the Bell Avenue elevator general-construction bid and mechanical bid into the record: a general construction contract with SB Conrad for $887,000 and a mechanical contract with Borough Construction for $129,000, both subject to solicitor review.
Teacher and community questions prompted an operations clarification. "The Bell Avenue elevator...the balance from that grant will be um covered in our existing capital borrow that we just completed," Donald Deans, operations, said when asked where the remaining funds would come from after the grant award.
The board discussed why bipolar ionization was included: operations staff explained it is a system component specified by the DOE grant and attaches to rooftop air-handling units to further clean air beyond filtration.
Why it matters: These contracts fund a major accessibility improvement (elevator) and equipment required to meet grant terms. The funding plan combines a state grant and the district’s capital borrow to cover the remainder; both the contract awards and the required review by the solicitor were read into the record.
What’s next: Contracts will move forward subject to solicitor approval and standard contracting procedures; the administration said it will finalize internal approvals and proceed with construction scheduling.
