Hempfield school board members were pleased to find out Monday night that base bids for a renovation project at the high school came in tens of millions of dollars lower than a projected price tag of nearly $150 million.
At its meeting next week, the board will potentially vote to award just under $119 million in bids for general contracting, electrical, HVAC and plumbing work at Hempfield Area High School.
The project was initially set to proceed in 2022, with school officials borrowing $100 million before ultimately taking a step back.
A projected cost increase of $16 million to $18 million had changed the board’s mind, along with a determination that the overall scope of the project violated Act 34, Holtzman said over the summer.
Also known as the “Taj Mahal Act,” Act 34 is a 1973 law that guides the construction of new school buildings and some additions — specifically those that are larger than 20% of the existing school building’s size. The law essentially prohibits districts from overbuilding or overspending.
Though aesthetic improvements will be made throughout the building, the main component of the renovation is a two-story addition on the front of the school, connecting the auditorium to the pool.
“We’re super-excited the bids came in well under what we thought they would,” board member Vince DeAugustine said.
The lion’s share of the $119 million price tag is a $72.9 million bid by Massaro Corp. for general contracting.
About $5 million of the money borrowed in 2022 went toward a roof replacement and other urgent repairs at the high school. The remaining money was invested, and school officials said it has generated about $8 million in interest — although the district will require additional borrowing to fund the full cost.
Superintendent Mark Holtzman said he’s looking forward to the changes.
“This is probably $30 million less than the last time we went through this,” Holtzman said. “I give a lot of credit to the board for making a decision (to hold off on the project) that was not easy and not that popular.”
“But we’re finally going to start seeing things move forward,” he said.
School officials are hoping to finish construction by June 2029. Once the renovation is complete, the district’s freshman students will shift back to the high school. They have been housed at Harrold School, the former middle school across the street from the high school, since the 2023-24 school year.
The board’s voting meeting will take place at 7 p.m. March 30 at the district’s administration building, 4347 Route 136 in Hempfield.
