Palmyra school board is still undecided on scope of high school renovations

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The Palmyra school board continued discussions on the high school renovation’s scope of work during its April 23 meeting, but didn’t decide exactly what will be pursued.

The district administration previously came up with a list of possible items to be considered for the high school and estimated costs determined by architects. Based on board direction, they added classifications of low, medium, and high priorities.

Administration also added time-based priorities of 12, 24, or 36 months for the high-priority items for the second April meeting.

Board member Corey Andrew said it would be helpful to include reasons why each item is needed. He stated that the project has changed from a large-scale renovation to a “triage-based” plan since receiving these estimates.

“The motivations on the project also changes what we think of as being a necessity, and sometimes that project drives what we would or would not do based on what’s going to be built,” he said.

Andrew said the district should come to a conclusion about how much they could spend on this project without raising taxes.

Mike Frentz, director of business affairs, said debt service is worked into the district’s millage rate, so it could borrow around $37 million without it affecting the taxpayer. There is also a little over $2 million in unappropriated funds in the capital reserve that could be put toward future work.

Superintendent Bernie Kepler said they have to decide on the scope of work before moving forward on any borrowing process. With the goal of doing construction in the summer of 2027, the deadline for a decision is coming closer, with Kepler saying after the meeting that they’ll need a decision “in the near future.”

“The amount of planning and prep and design work that’s going into a project of that nature takes a little more time,” he said. “And again, part of that’s dependent upon what our board decides they want to do and what process they want to use to obtain those goals.”

Kepler said that after the scope of work is decided, the borrowing process can happen quickly, assuming the market is healthy. The board has more work to do in the committee meetings to come to a final conclusion, he said.

Administration building update

There were no updates provided on the in-construction district administration building, for which the board asked district staff to look into possible settlement options. However, board president Jill Martin said there was a letter shared on social media supposedly penned by H.R. Weaver Building System’s legal team, and the district will be working with legal counsel to determine an appropriate response.

H.R. Weaver is the business involved in the building purchase agreement for the district to take ownership of the land and building after construction.

After the meeting, Kepler said he didn’t receive any direction to explore legal action.

H.R. Weaver confirmed the letter’s authenticity. Business manager Kristen Blouch said she decided to release it “in the interest of transparency.”

It outlined the various options for the district to settle on the building. Option one was to accept the district office as described in the contract. Kepler said the agreement with approved change orders would cost about $4.2 million.

Option two was to have H.R. Weaver complete the work based on contracts and materials that have already been purchased, but not build the parking lots, access ways, stormwater management systems, or landscaping. The business requests $3.36 million, plus any cost increases, daily interest, and the $25,000 termination fee specified in the contract.

“The District could sell the building as-is, but possibly at a substantial loss as compared to a completed building,” the letter states.

Option three mentions the idea of handing over the building as a “shell” without the interior built out, but the letter states the business was required to design the entire construction project, and the plans to complete the building interior cannot now be cancelled because “most of the building materials are already either on site or contracted for delivery in the near future.”

The final option outlined in the letter was for H.R. Weaver to sell the building itself, which the business declined, noting limited demand for such a property.

In other business, the school board:

• Recognized the Palmyra Unified Bocce team for its season.
• Approved all buildings and grounds, finance, and staffing and administration agenda items.
• Heard in the superintendent’s report that the Palmyra Area Senior High School’s mini-THON raised over $80,000 for Four Diamonds to support research into childhood cancer and assistance to families affected by it.
• Received information about the 2026-27 budget, which is still being put together by district staff. The budget is balanced at $74.9 million in revenue and expenses. The board will vote to advertise its proposed budget for public review at the May 14 meeting.

The Palmyra school board will meet next at Lingle Avenue Elementary School on May 14 at 6 p.m. Meetings can also be attended via Zoom.

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article stated that the board was looking into a “legal action” regarding the H.R. Weaver letter. Board president Jill Martin emailed LebTown after publication to clarify that the board is determining an appropriate “response.” We have updated the article accordingly.