A long list of facility upgrades are on the "to do list" for Summer 2025 in Hatboro-Horsham School District, including a new roof for Hallowell Elementary. (Credit: Zohair Mirza / Unsplash.com)
A number of updates to the district's facilities are slated for the summer of 2025.
Students and staff at Hatboro-Horsham School District (HHSD) may already be dreaming of summer break, but the school board members are making plans. Sadly, no, they’re not for a trip to a nearby shore. But instead, the board is considering which of the district’s Capital Projects will be next to be crossed off its “to do list” for Summer 2025.
During its last meeting, the school board heard from Bill Stone, director of business affairs for HHSD. Stone said that the potential projects will be voted on in the upcoming Nov. 18 public meeting of the board.
“We are recommending another ambitious summer,” he said. “It is an undertaking for our capital work, but one that speaks to the need of some of our aging facilities.”
Joe Crowe, the director of operations for HHSD, outlined a total of $6 million of long-term investments for the coming summer for board member’s review and input. Crowe started his laundry list of projects with those already approved by the school board.
“The generator was awarded,” he said. “It’s a new 24KW to replace the 100KW generator that we currently have. The reason we asked to approve it early is because it is at least eight months to get a new one.”
Another project includes the bus garage’s wash bay doors, at a budgeted cost of $53,000.
“That whole facia, that’s the original building, I think might be from the ‘50s,” said Crowe. “It’s a pretty good windstorm away from falling off, so we’re going to try to get a qualified contractor, preferably on a cooperative, to do that. If not, we’re going to have to put that out for bid.”
The Simmons elevator is another “past its lifespan” necessity Crowe outlined for the board. It is a 52-year-old elevator.
“It is well kept, but it is costly to maintain,” said Crowe. “It’s out of compliance with current building codes. And it’s impossible to obtain any parts for it.”
As it is unlikely that a new elevator will be able to be retrofitted into the same space, the project is budgeted for around $1 million and will be put out for competitive bidding.
Floor replacements were requested for three of the district’s facilities including Blair Mill, Simmons, and the high school. The total estimate is a cost of $155,000.
Additional work involving HVAC projects is also needed to address issues at Blair Mill, Simmons, and the high school. A total budget of over $1 million is required to work on four Blair Mill ventilators ($182,000), two Simons’ air handlers ($641,000), and hot water pumps at the high school ($190,000).
“The district has been focusing on efficiency and energy reduction over the last decade,” said Crowe. The typical life span of unit ventilators, he said, is 15 to 20 years, yet the Blair Mill’s four units are original to the building, established in 1968. He said in rooms 112 to 115, units are “failing.”
“The parts are obsolete,” he said. “Replacing them with the latest technology would be most cost-effective and obviously healthier for our students and staff.”
Simmons’ air handlers, which should average a life span of 15 years, are from the 1971-72 school year. From noise levels, to filtering, Crowe said today’s units are far more efficient.
New hot water pumps at the high school could save up to 40 percent of energy costs, said Crowe, and use far less water.
Also needed at Blair Mill and Simmons schools are concrete repairs. An estimated $40,000 to update curbs and walkways, which present a liability issue, said Crowe. Meanwhile, Hallowell requires a roof replacement which is slated to cost around $2.9 million.
“The building is currently experiencing significant roofing issues,” said Crowe. “The existing roof, composed of asphalt shingles, has shown premature failure, necessitating a comprehensive evaluation and replacement to prevent further damage from the water penetration we are currently receiving.”
Crowe noted that a grant for $575,000 from Public School Facility Improvement funding, will help to offset the cost somewhat on the roofing project, as the district also continues to pursue warranty claims and filing. A new “standing seam metal roof” is recommended for its replacement.
Masonry projects at the high school would cost around $100,000, Crowe said, to repair the Monument and Wayfinding signage, both of which require repointing and serious brickwork to restore the asthetics. Signs are also needed to replace or add to existing signage around the campus, to assist visitors and those driving in the area.
The high school’s Building Automation Service (BAS) is in need of assistance. Crowe said the entire district is run off a Siemen’s system, but the current system is over 20 years old, making it impossible to repair or replace. Crowe said that the system frequently “goes black,” meaning it cannot be accessed as intended. A budget of $162,000 was required for such updates.
The Steinly Stadium football goal posts are “bent and rusting,” according to Crowe due to normal wear-and-tear. An estimated $44,000 is necessary to replace them both.
An Operation’s Pole Barn, an old milk barn from the Jarrett Farm, has a partially damaged roof due to spring storms last years. As the barn protects assets of the district (such as large equipment, tractors, or tools), an estimated $40,000 is needed to replace the roofing. While an April 2024 insurance claim netted $8,807.56 toward the project, the deductible for the district is $10,000, which is needed to offset repair costs.
Other projects under “consideration,” but not yet determined for the coming summer, Stone said may also have to be added.
“We may be bringing a recommendation to you in the coming months,” said Stone. “Others will take a bit more time to develop the options for how we intend to move forward.”
In “anticipation of future action,” Stone presented a few issues that he wanted to put on the board members’ radar. Those included:
The district’s superintendent, Dr. Scott T. Eveslage, said he understand this summer is schedule to be one with many capital projects. He added that it absolutely makes sense when things are original to buildings from the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s, of course they are due for an update. However, it is the Hallowell Elementary School’s roof that is more confusing.
“Investing $2.9 million to replace a roof on Hallowell, a building that was open in 2017, has been a source of frustration,” said Eveslage. “It’s also been a source of questions, understandably, that I receive from the public. I just wanted to speak to that, briefly.”
The superintendent said he was very thankful to local representatives who’ve helped to gain the school access to grant funding. The district, he said, is still attempting to focus its need for repairs on the product and service warranties that have not long aged since the building’s opening.
“We are seeking other avenues to recoup some of those funds,” said Eveslage. There are warranty claims and legal options he could not “get into,” but assured the public the district is seeking refunded money related to the matter. As Keith Valley Middle School is also in the process of being constructed, the superintendent wanted the department’s assurances such issues will not be repeated there.
Crowe said a third-party inspection team was hired to review Keith Valley as it is built as a cautionary extra step to ensure quality.
Board Director Susan Hunsinger-Hoff asked if there would be a priority rating on the projects, as there had been in year’s past. Stone said that, once the facility study is complete, “which goes into more detail,” they will be able to inform top to lower priorities of each item.
