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Pennridge board hears summer 2026 construction kickoff, 2027 projects hinge on grant
Summary
District staff told the facilities committee that four bid packages for summer 2026 projects are starting and are expected to be substantially complete by the start of school; a larger boiler/air‑handler project for 2027 is modeled around a state PSFIG grant and would be deferred if the grant is not awarded.
John Young, the facilities presenter, told the board the four bid packages for the district’s 2026 summer work are scheduled to kick off in the coming weeks and that crews are “looking pretty good” to achieve substantial completion by the start of the school year.
Young said the work scopes include roofing, HVAC replacements and a scoreboard replacement for the high school, and he emphasized safety and minimizing classroom disruption when scheduling. “They should all be done,” he said, summarizing the team’s expectation that most items will be substantially complete by the end of summer with only minor punch‑list work extending into the fall.
Staff described roof‑by‑roof assessments at multiple school sites. Several roof sections were identified as beyond warranty with active leaks and were recommended for replacement; other sections were judged deferrable after core‑sample inspections. The presentation cautioned against simply overlaying built‑up roofs in many locations, noting that residual ballast and trapped moisture can accelerate failure of retrofit systems.
On mechanical systems, the presenter said several rooftop units still use R‑22 refrigerant and many associated VAV boxes are at end of life. Those HVAC components were listed as candidate replacements; the boiler‑plant and air‑handling units at the central middle school were presented as a separate, larger project tied to a PSFIG grant application.
Young walked the committee through the high‑level budget posture: the baseline plan assumes roughly $4 million in district funding for the package scope, with an option that includes the boiler/air‑handler project pushing the total higher if the district proceeds without the grant. He told the board staff had modeled both scenarios and that, “if we don’t get the grant, we would defer that project.”
Design and construction administration will be covered by B132 (design) and C132 (construction‑management) agreements, the presentation said, and staff noted contingency and permitting soft costs are included in the current estimates. The committee asked for a follow‑up update in August and for staff to flag any material timing risks during the summer work.
Next steps: staff will proceed with engineering and design, pursue long‑lead procurement as appropriate, and return to the board in August with progress and any recommended adjustments to scope or sequencing.
