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Muncy school borrows $10 million for project

MUNCY — The Muncy School Board took a preliminary step in carrying out its plans to develop and renovate various locations around the district at Monday’s meeting.

The board unanimously approved borrowing $10 million for the upcoming year.

According to a feasibility study from April of 2016, the district would be fully renovating the existing maintenance building including recovering the use of the weight room space, a new 4,800-square-foot steel and metal panel maintenance building, a new ticket booth, stadium entrance gate and concessions stand, two new exterior basketball courts at the high school campus and selected work items at Ward L. Myers Elementary School.

Voting were Mary Bennardi, Ty Fry, Scott McLean, Rhondel Moyle, Justin Reis, Lisa Sleboda, Robert Titman and Sarah Woodward. Connie Coyner was absent.

The bond could have a millage impact of 0.82 based on the current tax rate, Audrey Bear, vice president of Robert W. Baird and Co., said.

The district wouldn’t have to borrow the whole amount, she said.

This borrowing is the only one scheduled for 2017, Jens Damgaard, the district’s bond counsel, said. “But another $10 million could be borrowed in 2018 if the district were to need it,” he said.

He also added that borrowing in those specific increments was more favorable for a minimum tax impact.

After the approval, the board heard from a potential construction manager to undertake supervising the many variabled process.

Reynolds Construction Management Services has three offices in Pennsylvania and 75 percent of its business are projects on schools, a vice president for the company said.

The company has a focus on keeping construction and kids separate and plans out phases of projects so that there are no disruptions during construction and many other specifics dealing with the pre-construction and construction process.

The company would cost a rough estimate of $600,000 during 18 months pre-construction and construction periods, he said.

The board will hear from other groups at future meetings.

The board will meet next at a committee of the whole meeting at 7 p.m. on Feb. 13 and hold a regular meeting at 7 p.m. on Feb. 20.

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