Kutztown High School is one step closer to undergoing major renovations after a Kutztown School Board workshop meeting on Sept. 2.
After a lengthy presentation and the resulting discussion amongst board members and architect Justin Istenes, the school board unanimously approved a motion that advanced the future renovations for the high school by providing definitive direction to Istenes to proceed with developing the plans.
There were several elements to the motion, which was made by board member Karl Nolte and seconded by member James Shrawder. The first element involved which building options the board wanted to pursue for Phases 1 and 2 of the project.
After Istenes presented the various costs and details of each option, the board agreed that Option 2 for Phase 1 and Option 5 for Phase 2 provided the best blend of quality and cost effectiveness for the renovations.
Option 2 for Phase 1 revolves around renovating the athletic locker rooms. According to Istenes, the district’s consultant who works for AEM Architects, Option 2 “configured the locker rooms in a manner that was more conducive to current standards” than Option 1.
In addition to standardizing the locker rooms, Option 2 provides increased toilets that were not included in Option 1.
Phase 2 is for the complete renovation of the high school’s second floor. One of the big components of the selected Option 5 is its emphasis on safety.
Option 5 proposes the construction of two new science wings, while enclosing what is currently an outdoor passage by making it part of the building. The high school’s entrance would also receive a boost in security with two locked points of access requiring people to buzz in twice before entering the building.
According to Istenes, the purpose of the increased security is to provide “the opportunity for staff to evaluate who is seeking access to the building before they let them in.”
Option 5 also includes a proposed elevator that would link all of the building’s levels for complete handicap accessibility.
The second element of the board’s motion was to consolidate the phases of the project. Initially, the project was broken down into two phases with the thought of having two separate bids, one for each phase. The board decided to consolidate the work by making Phases 1 and 2 a single project that will ultimately be bid on and granted to a single company.
Consolidating the two phases into one larger project could prove more cost effective as the work proceeds. Istenes stated that giving the project to one company could save the district up to around $125,000 by the project’s end. However, no exact savings can be guaranteed at this point.
“It saves money and allows us to do even more for the school,” Board Vice President Randy Burch said.
The third and final element of the motion was essentially an assignment for Istenes to look into and report back on several miscellaneous items that were brought to his attention by the board. They included installing air conditioning on the entire first floor, improving bathroom facilities around the whole school, and replacing lockers that several board members described as inefficient because of their skinny design.
Although they remain in an opening part of the overall process, the school board made strides towards ultimately implementing the full renovation project in the coming months.
“The next step is we’ll tidy up some of these outstanding things, but they’ve chosen a direction here and we’ll get started on designing [soon],” Istenes said.
Discussion regarding the renovations is likely to continue at the board’s next scheduled meeting, which is set to take place on Sept. 15 at 7:30 p.m. in the High School’s library.
