Freeport Area School Board OKs $55 million high school renovation, tax hike

After years of planning and debate, the Freeport Area School Board moved ahead Wednesday with a $55 million high school renovation project — and approved a tax increase to help fund it.

Both measures passed 5-4. The school directors who voted for both were Christine Davies, Michael Huth, Gregory Selinger, Melanie Zembrzuski and Gary Risch Jr.

Directors Dino DiGiacobbe, John Haven, Sylvia Maxwell and Daniel Ritter were opposed to this particular version of the project and tax hike.

“It was time to do something,” said Risch, who is board president. “Our students deserve moving forward as this community grows to have a nice high school to go to.”

Much of the building remains unchanged from when it opened in 1960, though it did undergo substantial work in 1967 and 1987.

Chief complaints from students and staff include wafting sewage and sweltering classrooms during the warmer months.

Those issues will be addressed with a full sewage system replacement — an engineer has described the existing one as being in total failure — and new heating and cooling systems. The district also will complete electrical work, remove all asbestos, redo the auditorium and replace windows.

A complete list of improvements is listed posted to the district website.

Detractors acknowledged much of the approved work needs to be done. But as board member John Haven put it, “it’s going to be such a burden on taxpayers.”

Wednesday’s tax increase, part of a $39.7 million budget, is effectively the maximum allowed by the state Department of Education. It is unevenly distributed between Buffalo Township, which is in Butler County, and the district’s Armstrong County communities of Freeport and South Buffalo due to state regulations on school districts that cross county lines.

Buffalo Township residents will see a 5.3% tax increase. Freeport and South Buffalo residents will see a 4.9% hike.

Haven spearheaded a late-game effort for the district to go with what he called a hybrid plan, mixing elements of the $55 million proposal and a $20 million plan that was discarded for not going far enough.

Despite the tight vote, only one of the students, staff or district residents who packed the meeting room publicly disagreed with the board’s decisions.

Former Freeport mayor James Swartz Jr. piped up with a warning: “Look out taxpayers.”

Supporters were more plentiful, including several residents who complimented the board’s decision and one staff member.

“Our kids will always have a great education, but they deserve it in a building that is nice to walk into,” said high school teacher Dana Pfaff.

The board will not meet in July, but is expected to make additional moves in August to advance the project, such as hiring an architect and initiating a borrowing plan.