Parkland School Board sets new elementary school in motion: Board plans to work with Alvin H. Butz as the construction manager.

Parkland School Board on Tuesday approved a bond issue to borrow up to $11 million for numerous capital and technology projects but some of the money will be used for the design costs of building a new elementary school.

Parkland has been interviewing architects for the school, which is proposed to be constructed in Upper Macungie Township to accommodate projected increases in enrollment in the southwest section of the district.

Superintendent Richard Sniscak said 21 architects responded to the district's request for proposals and the board narrowed the field down to three firms. District officials are interviewing those three and hope to vote on the top choice next month. The board plans to work with Alvin H. Butz as the construction manager, Sniscak said.

Sniscak said the district has found a parcel of land for the school but is still in negotiations to purchase it. He would only say that it is in Upper Macungie.

"We're close," Sniscak said. "We picked something, we're working on terms."

A 2015 analysis by Stantec, an architecture and planning firm from Butler County, showed that about 500 additional elementary school children could be entering the Parkland district by 2020. Stantec predicted the district would require 15 additional classrooms in its southern region by 2020 and an additional 19 by 2025. Stantec estimated a new school would cost about $31.7 million.

But prior to any construction, the district must hold an Act 34 public hearing, which sets out what the new school is expected to cost and how it will be paid for, according to C. Steven Miller, board solicitor.

"You have to set a budget and then you have this hearing open to the public to present the project and the budget," Miller said.

Sniscak and Miller said they expect the chosen architect to come up with design alternatives to ensure the construction costs can stay within Parkland's budget for the project.

The maximum $11 million bond authorized Tuesday is expected to fund more than $4 million in early costs of the project, such as architecture and engineering fees. The bond also includes about $2 million for district-wide technology infrastructure upgrades, security systems and computer purchases; $1 million for new buses and vans; and $2 million for capital improvements such as roofing and paving at the district buildings.

Sniscak said he expects the amount borrowed by Parkland will likely be closer to $10 million.

On Tuesday, the school board voted unanimously to take out the maximum $11 million bond, with School Director Robert M. Cohen and Board President David M. Kennedy absent.

Source: Morning Call