The decisions the Gettysburg Area School Board made last year are not necessarily final.
During Monday’s meeting, the current board discussed whether to remove a viewing platform and roof access path from a Warrior Stadium Team Room. The $2.1 million team room, including the platform and access path, was approved on Oct. 6 despite the district administration’s opposition to the platform.
Board Member Dave Sites, who co-chairs the Finance and Facilities Committee with Tim Seigman, called the additions “a waste of taxpayers’ money.”
“You will be hard pressed, once you are two rows back on that viewing platform, to be able to see anything,” Sites said.
While questioning if Sites attends football games, Seigman noted that many people stand on a mezzanine.
Director of Facilities and Safety Coordinator Josh Reynolds said the viewing platform will accommodate 250-300 people.
The board spent much of Monday’s meeting focused on the process of discussing the platform rather than its merits. They finally agreed to send the project back to the Finance and Facilities Committee for further discussion.
Reynolds said Monday’s decision will delay construction, which was initially scheduled to be complete by June 1.
Administrative Offices
The last board approved the team room, but deferred renovations to the District Administration Building on Biglerville Road.
The proposal centers on upgrading the administration building’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system and relocating the IT room out of the basement. One option is to move the IT room to the attic for $6.8 million. Staff are not in favor of that scenario and would like to get more bang for their buck.
Reynolds said the district could expand the footprint of the first floor, creating a new board room and transforming the existing board room into an IT room. That project is estimated to cost $6.5 million. If the district goes that route, it could consider adding a second floor to the board room for an additional $1 million.
Board members will walk through the building prior to their Jan. 20 public meeting so they have more information before making a decision.
Tech Prep Building
Board Member Justine Sieg questioned the future of the Adams County Technical Institute’s current home if the school were to build a new facility. ACTI is currently located on the Gettysburg Area High School campus along Old Harrisburg Road.
Board Vice President Al Moyer, who has been on the board for several years, praised Sieg for thinking about the future but said there are too many questions surrounding ACTI’s future.
“Unfortunately, we are years away from a career and tech center here in Adams County,” Moyer said. “It’s shameful we have to deal with that.”
Lincoln Bridge
A pedestrian bridge at Lincoln Elementary School is failing.
Last year, the board allocated $50,000 to repair the bridge as part of an HVAC project at the school. The district has since learned that about 10 feet of the bridge needs to be replaced, causing the project’s cost to rise to $90,000.
The board will continue to discuss the bridge at a future meeting.
