McKeesport Area SD board hears proposal for high school feasibility study amid concern over aging systems
October 03, 2025 | McKeesport Area SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania
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McKeesport Area School District board members heard a staff presentation Thursday about pursuing a facility feasibility study and strategic master plan for the high school to assess the building’s condition and long‑term options.
The presenter said the study would begin with a Phase 1 condition assessment of the building envelope and major systems — including windows, doors, roofs, HVAC, plumbing and electrical — followed by workshops to set goals and, finally, options and cost models for the board to consider. “Phase 1 is basically looking at the structure and looking at the existing conditions,” the facilities presenter said. The timeline shown to the board estimated about four months from issuing a request for proposals to producing design options and cost models, with the presenter noting the process itself does not start construction.
Board members and speakers described recurring maintenance problems at the high school. One board member recounted that when they started “we had four boilers, one working,” and said parts were taken from some units to keep others running. The presenter and others described ongoing rooftop and HVAC issues; the presenter said brick was being added to column bases to protect them from salt damage and described plans for a secure front vestibule: “once you get in through the front doors, the interior doors will trap you within that area,” the presenter said, describing a controlled entry and screening area.
A board member asked about the district’s capital balance. A staff speaker responded that the district began the year with about $24,000,000 and that the capital balance “we're down to about 1.9 right now,” without specifying currency units further in the record. The staff speaker also said that if the district pursued a significant overhaul of the high school, that work would “be a bond issuance anyways.”
Board members said the study is intended to clarify whether the building should be rehabilitated or whether other options are more cost‑effective. The presenter emphasized the purpose of the study is to provide information before the board makes any decisions: “Till we get this assessment, we don't go with direction,” the presenter said.
No formal motion to authorize the feasibility study appears in the available transcript.
The presenter said the study would begin with a Phase 1 condition assessment of the building envelope and major systems — including windows, doors, roofs, HVAC, plumbing and electrical — followed by workshops to set goals and, finally, options and cost models for the board to consider. “Phase 1 is basically looking at the structure and looking at the existing conditions,” the facilities presenter said. The timeline shown to the board estimated about four months from issuing a request for proposals to producing design options and cost models, with the presenter noting the process itself does not start construction.
Board members and speakers described recurring maintenance problems at the high school. One board member recounted that when they started “we had four boilers, one working,” and said parts were taken from some units to keep others running. The presenter and others described ongoing rooftop and HVAC issues; the presenter said brick was being added to column bases to protect them from salt damage and described plans for a secure front vestibule: “once you get in through the front doors, the interior doors will trap you within that area,” the presenter said, describing a controlled entry and screening area.
A board member asked about the district’s capital balance. A staff speaker responded that the district began the year with about $24,000,000 and that the capital balance “we're down to about 1.9 right now,” without specifying currency units further in the record. The staff speaker also said that if the district pursued a significant overhaul of the high school, that work would “be a bond issuance anyways.”
Board members said the study is intended to clarify whether the building should be rehabilitated or whether other options are more cost‑effective. The presenter emphasized the purpose of the study is to provide information before the board makes any decisions: “Till we get this assessment, we don't go with direction,” the presenter said.
No formal motion to authorize the feasibility study appears in the available transcript.
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