Norwin board expected to OK $1 million in pool repairs

Faced with the need to update the 50-year-old Norwin High School swimming pool to bring it up to standards, the Norwin School Board is poised to authorize spending between $1 million and $1.2 million on the project.

The school board on Monday revealed during its workshop meeting that a committee of board members recommended upgrading the pool over the much more expensive options of replacing the pool at its current location or constructing another building to house a pool.

The board is expected to authorize the pool renovations proposed by Wallover Architects of Lancaster, an expert in swimming pool construction, when the board meets at 7 p.m. Nov. 21 for its regular meeting.

By authorizing the project in November, the process can begin for seeking bids for the work. The school board in the spring discussed the need for the swimming pool renovations, but the district replaced the artificial turf at Knights Stadium instead.

Wallover Architects last month presented the school board with a report detailing the inadequacies of the pool area. Among the problems are leaks in the roof, a ceiling that is failing in certain areas, an undersized filtration system, an inefficient heating system, an inadequate level of lighting and dressing and restroom facilities that do not meet standards for the Americans with Disabilities Act.

To make the pool meet standards, Wallover recommended new deck equipment be installed, the heating and ventilation system be upgraded, the existing deck be replaced and the pool tile be repaired and completely regrouted. The company also recommended the bleachers be upgraded and the concrete gutters replaced with stainless steel.

The project would cost $1 million but would increase to $1.1 million to $1.19 million if a new filter and recirculation system are included, according to Wallover.

Superintendent Jeff Taylor said the district would have the option of choosing the parts of the basic upgrades it wants to include in the project.

Director William Essay said he liked the third option — constructing a new building on the high school-junior high school campus, but that cost could range from $5 million to $8 million, according to Wallover.

Director Tracey Czajkowski said she would have preferred replacing the pool at the existing site at the high school and reorienting it so it would meet all safety standards for high school swimming and diving competition. That option, however, would cost about $5.6 million.

While more expensive options might be preferred by some, “our bank accounts couldn’t take it,” board member Donald Rhodes said.

The pool renovations would be paid for by a $9.95 million bond issue the board authorized last month for the pool and other unspecified capital improvements. The money would become available when the bonds are sold in January.

Taylor said he would like to see the project begin in May and have it completed in October, in time for the swimming team’s season.

Students who normally would take swimming classes in the first semester of the 2020-21 school year would take swimming classes in the second semester, Taylor said.

The school board did interview two firms under consideration for a study of the school district’s facilities: McKissick Associates Architects of Harrisburg and VEBHArchitects of Mt. Lebanon. The interviews were conducted in an executive session.

The school board is considering what capital improvements may be needed in the school district.