East Lycoming School District has multiple projects under way – a water mitigation at the high school campus, stadium bleacher installation, track resurfacing and upgrades to the long jump area, a perimeter fence, elementary playground construction, high school cafeteria expansion, and gymnasium and auditorium sound system improvements and Fine Arts room upgrades.

It’s been a busy spring and will be this summer, according to the report to the school board by District Superintendent Dr. Mark Stamm.

The water mitigation is a long-term goal of this and prior boards to protect district schools and facilities from upstream runoff and flooding. The board approved a second low bid Miller Soil Solutions for $780,600 without an add alternate for tree removal downstream from Boak Avenue.

The campus’ flatness remains a challenge, but Stamm said he is confident, as designed, the project provides the best means of managing water flow from Cemetery Street and past Boak Avenue.

The tree removal won’t be ignored and there will be soliciting proposals to remove the trees downstream of Boak Avenue in coming weeks.

The water mitigation project could proceed the week of July 7 or sooner with final completion expected before the end of October.

HHS Football Stadium Bleachers

Stadium Solutions submitted their proposals for the final stadium bleacher design. The overall Lyco CTC project is out to bid and the bleacher project, while connected, remains a separate project.

It is anticipated the installation will begin in November and finish by early April to match with the timing of the first home track meet.

Board member Floyd Swales asked why there was not another bid proposal for the stadium bleachers. He expressed his concern and it was noted. Stamm said there are not many companies that specifically provide this service installation and that it was a CoStars bid. That system competitively bids them ahead of time, allowing the users to save time and money, and does not require requests for proposals. Stamm recommended that the board approve the proposal from Stadium Solutions for $1,178,151.00 for replacement of the high school grandstands and pressbox. This recommendation is amended to include only the concrete foundations and frontwork ($64,988.00) and demolition of existing bleacher(s) ($18,792.00).

This recommendation is amended to exclude the filming platform canopy ($42,772.00) and exclude the power coated risers ($48,975.00). Although this project is linked to the Lyco Career and Technology Center expansion, the bleacher project is funded through the ELSD bond project. The seating capacity of 1,600 remains unchanged. This proposal is less than an initial estimate of $1,250,000 with a 5% contingency for a total line item reserve of $1,343,871.

Other Bond Projects

Numerous projects began or shifted into second phases on June 9.

The tennis courts have their final top coat of asphalt and will need to cure for 30 days before the painting can be completed. The company had a glitch and it was their fault and it was repaired in a day. Lights and fence posts were also installed. Fence fabric will be added at a later date.

The track surface was removed and the subbase milled. A few issues were discovered including elevation change of 17 inches on the long jump lane that was lessened through grading. It was also discovered that the high jump runway was about â…” too small for regulations. A change order to correct this is included in the agenda. An additional change order

to add material to the bottom of each jump pit is also included. Costs for both of these changes can be covered by the contingencies in the line item for the track. Stamm said he is working with Keystone Athletics on changing the proposed color of the track from green to something else. I am concerned that the green track, although our school color, would not contrast sufficiently with the green field and other grass areas. Once he finds an alternative he said he is comfortable with, he will forward it to the athletic committee for comment.

Outside of the track, the fencing around the perimeter of the field is underway as well. A few minor issues were discovered but managed without cost impact. A change order is on the agenda for the installation of a 16 foot sliding gate at the main access point of the track. This was originally designed with a less expensive double swing gate but the district discovered too many issues with this option that would potentially damage the new track or prohibit access

to the school for the teams and band.

Ashkar playground installation is progressing on schedule. The district is working with Watson Excavation on the replacement cost of the fiber line and will update the board likely in July.

Also at Ashkar, the main switch gear was to be replaced, a final piece of the 2024 electrical

work at Ashkar to be completed by McClure. Bryan McCaffery, Director of Buildings & Grounds, was credited by Stamm for his innovation and prevention of growth of mold in this process.

“His (McCaffery’s ability to identify and act on facility risks saves us significant expenses in the long term,” Stamm said. “For example, recognizing that the building would be off-line for a week in June, he secured a main generator to run several roof top units to maintain air conditioning during the week of electrical shutdown and avoid potential mold issues that may

occur.”

The high school cafeteria expansion and classroom renovations are also on schedule. Demolition work on interior spaces has begun and on the exterior the steel framing was completed and roofing installed. Change orders (typically costing 1% more but 5 to 7% built into the budget) are expected but won’t disrupt the schedule, cost too much and will add significantly to the overall quality of the project such as interior finishes.

Illuminated Integrations completed installation of the new sound system in the gymnasium on Friday. They will be transitioning to the auditorium. Their work is scheduled to be completed by early August.

The School Resource Officer agreements were submitted for review and were approved. There are service contracts that share cost and time between ELSD and Borough of Hughesville for two SROs.