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HUGHESVILLE -- Bids for the Ashkar building project were officially rejected as the East Lycoming School District looks to find ways to maintain the focus of the project while dealing with costs way above what was anticipated.
Earlier this month, the board received the news that the bids for the project came in at $44.6 million, while the district had $25 million in bonds and $5 million in a line of credit set for the construction of the new elementary school.
At this week's meeting, Dr. Mark Stamm, superintendent, said that the district is in conversations with Marotta/Main and Fidevia, the architectural and construction firms that are guiding the district through the bidding process to find a solution to the situation.
"There's certainly some ground to cover," Stamm told the board.
"I do appreciate a couple of conversations I've had with some board members about it. We're on a common understanding that there's a budget, but we can't sacrifice the quality of the building to get there. The building has to last for generations, and we need to make sure that happens," he said.
Stamm assured the board that the district is moving forward and that he hopes to have a revised plan for board consideration sometime this summer.
"I'll keep you updated as we know more...hopefully we'll have something this summer for you, but that depends on how easily we get those numbers and what that means," Stamm said.
In other actions, the board approved the final 2023-24 general fund budget setting the real estate tax rate at 16.41 mills, the real estate transfer tax, Act 511 at .5 of 1% and the earned income tax, Act 24 at 1.2%.
The board approved the 2023 Homestead and Farmstead Exclusion resolution. A total of 3,066 approved farmsteads and homesteads in the district will be able to receive a real estate tax deduction under the program.
Other actions taken under business and financial matters included the approval of the appointment of Donna Gavitt as the board treasurer for the upcoming fiscal year; the articles of agreement between Lycoming Career and Technology Center and the district; the LycoCTC purchase of services agreement; 2023-24 New Story rates for special education services; a proposal from Dave Gutelius Inc. for excavating services at Renn Elementary at a cost of $22,400; the 2023-24 BLaST IU 17 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) agreement for pass-through funds totaling $307,342; two proposals from Automated Logic for building automation systems for the high school, totaling $228,196; a proposal for janitorial service systems from Marr Development at the rate of $25 per hour per staff member; and the BLaST special education services agreement.
During his report to the board, Stamm indicated that the district was having difficulties finding custodial personnel in anticipation of the deep cleaning that occurs in district buildings during the summer months. One solution, he said, was to subcontract the work for a limited period of time from June through the end of August.
The board also approved a Memorandum of Understanding with the East Lycoming Education Support Personnel Association regarding compensation for overtime hours and rates for the summer and another MOU with the association regarding contracting third-party vendors for custodial services and other operational needs of the district.
A Local/Community Scholars Agreement between the district and Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania was also approved.
The next board meeting will be at 7 p.m., June 20 at the high school library. The public should enter through the library vestibule doors.