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South Side school looks to feasibility study, eyes firms

The South Williamsport School District heard proposals Saturday from architecture groups to determine how it can reinvest in the schools — as it expects to pay off its debt in the next three years, according to school officials.

Delivered in feasibility statements, the selected firm would closely examine the schools to determine what is most in need of repair or replacement.

Prior to the presentations, the district sent out a request for proposals, which outlined aspects it would like to focus on: creating modern-learning spaces, renovating the athletic fields and opening them for community use and infrastructure upgrades. The organizations that responded were EI Associates, Highland Associates and Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates.

“The challenge for the board is that they have an existing annual deficit of $500,000,” said Mark Stamm, superintendent.

The question, Stamm said, is “How much can we cycle back into our budget to help cover our deficit and how much do we want to issue new bonds, as new debt, to invest back into the district?”

Stamm said he enjoyed seeing the different approaches and was pleased to see that the proposals hit all the areas that were outlined in the request for proposal.

“I felt like they understood what we were looking for in some very broad areas,” he said.

On Dec. 3, the board will review the proposals and accept one.

But, “We’re a long way from final ideas,” Stamm said.

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