Burrell School District weighs options on $24 million in projects that could include air conditioning

Two buildings in the Burrell School District could have air conditioning for the first time if the district moves forward with up to $24 million in projects to upgrade its schools.

Burrell High School and Bon Air Elementary, both targeted for improvements, would be slated for new heating and cooling systems, repairing or replacing decades-old boilers at both.

The district’s architect, HHSDR Inc., of Pittsburgh, presented plans this week for those proposed projects and additions at Bon Air.

“Nothing is concrete,” said Superintendent Shannon Wagner. “The architect shared with the board what it could potentially look like.”

A cafeteria addition, air conditioning and boiler repair at Bon Air are estimated to total $10 million, Wagner said.

Bon Air was built in 1953, added onto in 1958 and renovated in 1996-97. Its boilers and heating and ventilation systems are from 1997. The improvements would provide air conditioning for the first time.

The cafeteria addition at Bon Air will be necessary, district officials say, when fourth grade students join the school this fall.

With the closure of Stewart Elementary after the current school year ends, fourth grade will be sent to Bon Air and fifth grade to Charles A. Huston Middle School, at least for next school year.

District officials in October moved to close the roughly 95-year-old Stewart building. They cited a decline in enrollment, costly infrastructure upgrades and the opportunity for staff to focus resources at three buildings instead of four, coupled with increases in student needs.

If the district wanted to move fifth graders to Bon Air for the 2026-27 school year and make the school a K-5 building, an additional classroom wing would be needed, district officials say.

That additional wing would up the cost of Bon Air improvements to an estimated $14 million, Wagner said.

“We’re going to have to do what the best thing is for our buck,” said school board President Rick Kaczor. “It sounds like the community, in general, wants us to have fifth grade at Bon Air. If it’s not fiscally responsible, we’re not going to do it. It has to make sense.”

If fiscally responsible, Kaczor said, he would like to see air conditioning in all three district buildings.

The board has yet to make a decision on which projects it will pursue.

“The board requested specs for all projects to see the costs,” Wagner said.

The proposals require review and approval from Lower Burrell city planners. Wagner said the architect anticipates submitting the building plans in April, city council reviewing it in May and the school board considering awarding contracts in June.

As drafted, the project would make the Bon Air cafeteria around 8,100 square feet — about double its current space, Wagner said. An additional classroom wing at Bon Air, if the board moves forward with that, would be around 9,300 square feet.

Wagner said the board would request bids for both Bon Air projects — the estimated $10 million of infrastructure upgrades, with and without the additional classroom wing. Boiler replacement at Bon Air would be bid as part of those packages.

“So then the board can decide if we can afford to do it, or if we need to,” she said.

Project completion would be slated for July 2026.

High school work considered

The board also has to weigh the estimated $10 million heating and cooling project at the high school. If the school directors chose to move forward with that, the architect anticipates the bidding process to begin later this year, Wagner said.

Burrell High School’s boilers are from 1964 — the same year the building opened — as is its heating and ventilation system. It also does not have air conditioning but would get it for the first time.

Keeping Stewart open, district officials say, would have required an estimated $17 million in upgrades to that building in addition to the projects now being considered.

Burrell applied for a $5 million state grant to help pay for heating and air conditioning work at the high school but was unsuccessful. The board previously approved taking out a $10 million bond to pay for construction projects in the district and anticipates taking out another $10 million bond in the future. Doing that, Wagner said, is cheaper than taking out one $20 million bond.

Other work started

Already, district officials have determined to move forward with two projects.

The board on Tuesday awarded an $800,000 contract to Frederick Mechanical LLC to repair the boilers at the high school and a $16,900 contract with Hillis Carnes Engineering Associates for subsurface soil testing at Bon Air.

It’s anticipated that work on the high school boiler project would start in June and finish in August. That project would simply upgrade the existing heating system and would not provide air conditioning.

“We’re going to be fiscally responsible,” Kaczor said. “We’re going to do the right thing for the community. We do listen to what the community has to say.”