By Imari Scarbrough

The Conewago Valley school board approved bids for the renovation and expansion of New Oxford Elementary School and passed a measure adding girls’ wrestling and recognizing it as a PIAA sport.

Renovation of New Oxford and Conewago Township Elementary

The board awarded the following contracts:

Re-keying buildings: A.G. Mauro, with a cost ceiling of $235,000
Parking lot sealing and striping: Unspecified lowest bidder with a maximum cost of $85,000
General construction: eciConstruction, Inc. for $23,487,000
HVAC construction: North Bay Mechanical, LLC for $7,589,900
Electrical construction: McCarty and Son, Inc. for $5,342,772
Plumbing construction: Mann Heating and Plumbing, LLC for $3,135,901
Site construction: York Excavating for $6,305,000
Site testing: Barry Isett and Associates, Inc. for $273,872

Superintendent Sharon Perry also provided updates on the district’s other major construction project, the renovation of Conewago Township Elementary School.

At CTE, Perry said construction is progressing well, with a roof being added and electrical conduit newly installed. HVAC and plumbing work are also well underway.

Next, Perry said work will begin on adding a brick facade in the courtyard, finishing walls in the north and east wings, and continuing mechanical, electrical and plumbing work for the addition.

Board member Melanie Sauter referenced the continuous concerns some members of the public and the board have had with both construction projects, saying “questions of integrity” had been brought up regarding the financial stewardship of the district. Debates about the validity of enrollment projections have been a key factor in the opposition.

“I believe that we as a board have done our due diligence to make sure that we are doing the most we can with the least; you know, not creating a Taj Mahal but yet anticipating what could happen in the future,” Sauter said. “Just because there is not actual enrollment today does not mean that we are not planning for potential enrollment in the future.”

Sauter said she understood financial concerns but is convinced investing in the buildings now is the best option.

“As much as I hate to impact today’s wallet – me being one of those taxpayers – just with the way things are going, looking at the history of how things have been going, I just feel that now is the time versus kicking it down the road further, continuing to put money into something that can no longer be fixed, and hopefully setting ourselves as well as our future children, community and taxpayers for a solid future for which they don’t have to go through this process again in the near future,” Sauter said.

Board member Lindsay Krug has been a vocal opponent of the construction projects at most meetings due to financial and enrollment concerns but said that she agreed that “everybody has done an incredible amount of due diligence” regardless of how they voted on them.

All bid awards passed the vote, though board members Krug, William Getz and April Swope voted against awarding the construction bids and Meredith Miller voted against awarding the HVAC construction bid.

The board also voted to refinance its Series 2018 and 2019 bonds to shave at least 2% of refunded principal, according to the agenda. Swope and Miller opposed it.

While the district will take on debt for construction of New Oxford Elementary and Conewago Township Elementary schools, previous debt interest rates are expected to be otherwise trimmed back following refinancing, board president Jeffrey Kindschuh said.

“We’re actually saving the taxpayers money,” Kindschuh said. “That’s that 2%, which is the industry standard that we’ve given as guidance, so that if our agent can achieve a 2% savings on the existing debt, they’re going to bundle it and refinance it so that we’re not taking on more debt.”

Cafeteria lunch prices were set for the 2026-27 school year and will remain the same as this school year, with lunch $2.60 for elementary and intermediate students, $2.85 at the secondary level, and $0.40 for reduced lunch. Milk will remain at $0.55. Breakfast continues to be free.

The board approved a number donations and contracts as the district wraps up the 2025-26 school year and prepares for the 2026-27 academic year, including contracts with New Story Schools and Laurel Life.

A vote recognizing girls’ wrestling as a PIAA sport will also take effect in 2026-27. Girls’ wrestling will be added to the district’s athletic offerings. At present, girls participate in wrestling on the boys’ team.

Most board members voted to approve the measure, though two – Swope and Getz – voted against it.

Getz repeated sentiments he had expressed during the board’s study session on May 4, when he said “there is true value in us getting back to teaching our kids that there is a difference between boys and girls” and argued for a “reset culturally.” During that meeting he said girls and boys should “behave in a traditional manner.”

During the May 4 study session, board member Sauter told Getz he had “inadvertently argued for” the creation of a girls’ team given that it would separate the wrestlers.

Currently, there are five female wrestlers in the district.

On May 4, Getz said the district should not encourage it and that he had forbidden his daughter from joining the team. Getz doubled down on his opposition to the measure during Monday’s meeting, citing worries about declining birth and marriage rates and what he perceives as a loss of traditional values as factoring into his vote.

During the regular meeting on Monday, there were two periods for public comment, with one specifically for agenda-related concerns.

Nine of the 12 speakers spoke specifically to support adding girls’ wrestling. The other three spoke about separate issues. Some of the supporters lauded the character building they believe wrestling encourages.

“Obviously, decisions from the board should be based on financial impacts, effects on school resources, etc. but not on personal dislike or like of an activity,” one speaker, John Conrad, said. “It’s about providing opportunities and letting the student and their families decide whether it’s appropriate… But as part of the CVSD family, I believe that decisions to participate or not should like with the individual families, not with the biases of board members.”

One woman spoke up to agree with Getz’s other point that meetings should be held in the auditorium and full of attendees concerned about taxes.

Kindschuh responded by saying the cost per student at New Oxford is in the bottom third for state rankings and sits near the national average. Kindschuh said Pennsylvania has a higher cost of living than many other states and is in the top 10 for cost per student.

The board approved a variety of personnel decisions, including the retirements of Matthew Muller, district director of safety and communications, effective July 20 and Christopher Cobb, principal of NOES, effective June 30.

Kindschuh reminded those present that high school graduation is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, May 28. A rain day is set for Friday, May 29.

The board will hold a study session at 7 p.m. Monday, June 1 and a regular voting meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, June 8. Both meetings will be held in the district board room.

Imari Scarbrough is a freelance journalist.