Board approves project change orders

The brief special meeting Monday, Aug. 1, of the Schuylkill Valley School Board involved the unanimous passage of four change orders involving other aspects of renovating the district’s schools.

The board approved the removal of cabinet bases in the elementary school classrooms and the installation of new rubber bases at a cost of $7,466.

The board also approved a $10,991 supplementary steel and masonry infill to address what was called a structural concern at the elementary school.

“It wasn’t done properly when it was built,” said board member George H. Mertz III.

One change order was a credit for the relocation of the electrical panel at the high school, giving $3,387 back to the district.

“We like the change orders that give us money,” board Vice President Paul L. Bendigo joked.

Finally, the board approved $2,113 to pay for materials and labor to install four emergency lighting fixtures in the high school library.

There were no updates on last month’s kerfuffle over the timeline to install air conditioning in the elementary school building, not the high school, as previously reported in the Reading Eagle.

The board has yet to vote on whether to pay over $57,000 to install 40 temporary air conditioning units because contractor EI Associates may not finish the job by the time students return to school.

The district paid over $8,000 to make sure the project was completed before the start of the school year, but there was confusion between the district and EI Associates over when it would be finished.