LEWISTOWN - The Mifflin County School Board considered options for the future of its buildings and its budget during a special meeting Thursday in Lewistown.
After discussing multiple options with architect Vern McKissick, the board members voted to proceed with a proposal for PlanCon renovations to Indian Valley Elementary School, and for essential renovations needed at the Mifflin County Junior High School.
The heating systems and roofs need replaced on both buildings, but the board discussed the options of only partially replacing these items at Indian Valley.
Several board members asked McKissick to research heating options such as biomass, geothermal and dual fuel boilers.
McKissick estimated the junior high project cost to be about $1.987 million.
While discussing the renovations, the board members brought up the possibility of closing Union Elementary School.
Board member Mary Lou Sigler said the school district has been closing schools since the 1970s when it had 21 buildings. The district's enrollment numbers have been gradually shrinking for about two decades.
"People weren't happy, but it's time to be realistic," Sigler said.
Board member Ruth Armstrong said she is in favor of closing Union.
Superintendent James Estep also held to his opinion that the school district should have closed six schools last year.
The board members' vote to move forward with the project did not commit the school district to closing Union, but McKissick said the school would be included in the PlanCon proposal to the state.
Indian Valley Elementary put the project out for bid with an option to renovate additional classrooms to accommodate former Union students, should the building be closed, McKissick said.
Not closing Union would mean a loss of about $600,000 in state funding for the renovation project, he said. Funding is tied to the number of students affected by the renovation project. He added that the decision to close the school may be put off until the summer.
"This does not have to be an all or nothing juncture," McKissick said of the vote.
Estep emphasized the district's tight financial situation, and questioned where the school district would find the money to pay for the renovations.
Chief Financial Officer Sean Daubert also asked the board members to consider selling the closed Brown Elementary and Strodes Mills Middle schools to help the budget. He said he does not recommend selling Highland Park Elementary, also closed this year, because there are athletic practice fields currently used behind the school.
Daubert said the board cannot afford to do nothing, but they will have to make difficult decisions about what to cut to pay for the building needs.
"... we put a roof on a building for 800 kids or close another building," Daubert said.
The board members also talked about possibly moving the Mifflin-Juniata Career and Technology Center into the Mifflin County Junior High School. Because the decision also involves Juniata County, they agreed to put off the discussion until a later date.
In other business, the board approved three change orders for Lewistown Intermediate School: data cables for three printers, backbone cable additions and labor in the amount of $2,373.74; supplying and installing RG-11 backbone cables from the mechanical room to the data room at a cost of $11,909.19; and the relocation and removal of conduit and wiring the first and second floors for slab shoring in the amount of $3,499.36.
The board meeting continued after press time. Estep announced earlier in the meeting that there would be an executive session for negotiation and personnel matters and possibly a vote after the session.
