Two West Allegheny schools will be studied for repairs
Share with others:
West Allegheny is considering repairs and renovations to its two oldest school buildings.
The school board hired Thomas & Williamson Program Management of Ross on Jan. 18 to conduct a $35,000 facilities assessment focusing on the condition of McKee Elementary in North Fayette and Wilson Elementary in Findlay. Both schools were built 40 years ago.
This month, the firm will begin evaluating the buildings and systems such as plumbing, electrical and heating, ventilation and air conditioning, Superintendent John DiSanti said.
In late spring or early summer, the firm may recommend building repairs, renovations and modernization options, along with cost estimates and other information, he said.
Mr. DiSanti anticipated some work will be necessary, such as installation of new roofs on both buildings, while other work will be optional, such as changing interior layouts or upgrading to more energy-efficient equipment.
McKee and Wilson were built in the early 1970s and designed for a then-popular open classroom concept that the district may consider changing, he said.
"We want to explore, based on cost, whether some modernizations may be affordable," Mr. DiSanti said.
The firm also will consider the best place to relocate the district administrative offices, if the school board were to decide to move them out of a wing in Donaldson Elementary in North Fayette, Mr. DiSanti said.
To satisfy state Department of Education requirements, the assessment will cover all school facilities, including Donaldson Elementary and the middle and high schools, but the district doesn't expect those buildings to need any major work, Mr. DiSanti said. The high school completed a $26 million renovation and expansion in 2010, and Donaldson Elementary opened in 2003.
School board members voted 9-0 to commission the facilities assessment. It will focus on the condition of the buildings rather than space requirements.
"We should be able to accommodate our enrollments for years to come with the existing facility space we have," Mr. DiSanti said. "We're in pretty good shape as far as space utilization, but we do want to look at the big picture."
The district's latest enrollment study by demographer Shelby Stewman predicted the total number of elementary students in Findlay, North Fayette and Oakdale will decrease slightly by 2020.
The report found the number of kindergartners to fifth-graders will rise by 40 pupils in McKee but decrease by 50 in Wilson and fall by 25 in Donaldson.
Although population growth in Donaldson has slowed over the past few years, the district offices still might move out of the school eventually. The office houses about 20 people, including the superintendent, business manager and other administrative and support staff, and occupies an amount of space equivalent to about six classrooms.
"We want to look at whether or not the administrative offices and the space that we need can be incorporated into renovations to either of those two buildings (McKee or Wilson)," Mr. DiSanti said.
First Published February 2, 2012 5:06 am
