Gettysburg Area School District will begin elementary school renovations in the coming months at a total cost of $30 million.
Improvements to James Gettys Elementary School will begin in March, Dennis Rumsey, senior complex solutions manager of Trane Technologies, told the board during its Oct. 2 meeting. Crews will begin “behind-the-scenes work” after school throughout the spring. Heavy construction will begin in June and end in August. Crews will add final touches in September and October.
“We have never not met the guidelines to get these projects done,” Rumsey said.
In August, the board approved the elementary renovations with a 7-1 vote. Members Michael Dickerson, Tim Seigman, Timon Linn, Michelle Smyers, Jeremy Davis, Ryan Morris, and Al Moyer supported the renovations. AmyBeth Hodges opposed. President Kenny Hassinger was absent. Last year, the board denied a similar administrative proposal.
The James Gettys project includes heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) units, lighting, a sprinkler system, an emergency generator, a fire alarm system, a public address system, and reconfiguration of the administration wing. The total cost of the project is $10.68 million, Rumsey said.
Due to the building’s size, work at Lincoln Elementary School will extend over two years. Construction will begin in March 2024 and end in October 2025. Similar to Lincoln, crews will complete most work over the summer months. The plan for Lincoln includes HVAC, building automation, lighting upgrades, a new sprinkler system, emergency generator, fire alarm, refurbishment of an existing pedestrian bridge, a fire alarm system, and public address system. The total cost of the Lincoln Elementary School project is $19.6 million, Rumsey said.
New Principal
The board unanimously approved the administration’s recommendation to hire Matthew Lobb as middle school principal. Lobb replaces Logan Belinda, who resigned earlier this year. He will be paid $92,000, according to the meeting agenda.
“I briefly worked with Matt Lobb at Chambersburg High School. He will do a top-notch job. The Warrior team just got better,” Board Member Al Moyer said.
Alex J. Hayes has spent almost two decades in the Adams County news business. He is passionate about sharing stories focused on the people in our communities and following local governments in an age when few journalists report on their meetings. Alex is also a freelance writer for several other publications in South Central Pennsylvania. Alex encourages readers to contact him at ahayes83@gmail.com.
The school district is heading down the wrong road. They do not need to hire a person to be in charge of construction. This method will only lead to countless change orders they will not be able to refute. Spend the money NOW to hire a reputable Construction Management firm. Their first act should be to review the project(s) design to see if it is complete. During actual construction the CM has to supply an inspector to chart progress with daily reports and photos. No one from either the school district or CM firm is to ever issue orders to… Read more »
As someone who served as a school board director in the area and who worked on construction litigation, I can say with certainty that what Mr. McKenney proposes provides no guarantee of no change orders and no litigation. I have seen where both methods – in-house and outside firm – have resulted in nearly perfect outcomes or years of acrimony. Whichever path the School Board follows, make sure the person or entity overseeing the construction is competent and has no long record of negatives. There will always be some amount of change orders. It is highly unlikely that construction will… Read more »