Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry Secretary Nancy A. Walker joined local leaders to discuss state investments in career and technical education. Lycoming CTC Executive Director Nathan Minium, PA Labor & Industry Secretary Nancy A. Walker, State Rep. Joe Hamm, State Rep. Jamie Flick and Hughesville Councilwoman McKenna Long were in attendance. Additionally, Lycoming CTC Teacher Kerri Kime and her students were also in attendance.
East Lycoming School District school board approved a “parameters” resolution authorizing the borrowing of funds for the expansion project of Lycoming Career and Technology Center.
The bond agreement reviewed indicated an aggregate principal amount of $6.8 million over a 15-year term.
As part of this financing, the school district is expected to borrow $5 million as a matching fund for the $5 million state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RCAP) grant it received for the project from the Office of Budget and the administration of Gov. Josh Shapiro.
The district would realize about $500,000 in savings by going through the bond market as opposed to a local financing institution or bank, according to Superintendent Dr. Mark Stamm.
The resolution indicated the board was determined to appoint Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company as the paying agent, having a corporate trust office in Harrisburg, and Buffalo, New York, as the paying agent and sinking fund depository for the bonds.
FSL Public Finance, LLC is the financial adviser, retained by the district while Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC, is retained as its bond counsel in connection with the issuance of the bonds.
The bond issuance is expected to be finalized in mid-March by the board.
Likewise, the district requested proposals for construction management services for the Lyco CTC expansion project. Three proposals were received. Fidevia was the low bidder and the preferred company to continue working with on this new project.
Fidevia has proved an invaluable partner in other projects including Ashkar heating ventilation air conditioning renovations, masonry, and Hughesville High School renovations, Stamm noted.
The proposal includes on-site support for 2 and 3 days per week. No onsite services are being provided at this time.
The Lyco CTC consortium included representatives from East Lycoming, Loyalsock, Montoursville, Muncy, Benton and Warrior Run school districts.
Phase I construction includes a new building, a new bleacher system and press box plus additional parking.
The expansion will add space for welding and diesel. There will be 20 welding booths around the perimeter and then at the opposite end of the building will be four bays for the diesel component of the program.
The goal would be to bid Phase I in spring so that the bleachers can be ordered and on site ready for when the fall football season is over so that construction can be completed by graduation in 2026.
The building will be completed at the same time, probably rolling through the end of the following summer in 2026 to finish the interior fit out, but the bleachers would be done at that point. The overall scope calls for the building to be ready for classes in the fall of 2026.
Bids for this project were opened on Jan. 14. Six general contractors bid on the project and two bids were received for electrical. No bids were received for plumbing or mechanical. After consulting with MM and Fidevia, Stamm said he decided to rebid and seek to expand the potential list of contractors even more than previously. Between MM and Fidevia, they connected with 49 companies encouraging them to review the project and consider bidding. Bids for these two sections are due on Feb. 4.
A special board meeting will be held on Feb. 6 to review and approve final bids for the cafeteria expansion and the fine arts classroom renovations.
The facility committee met for three hours Jan. 21 to review all projects currently in development or scheduled to be completed this year.
A request for proposals for school district solicitor services was conducted in January. Three firms provided quotes. McCormick Law Firm provided the lowest cost and is the preferred provider.
“Attorney Christopher Kenyon provides sound legal advice and is timely and responsive to district needs. I recommend the district’s relationship with McCormick Law be continued based on past performance and current price proposal,” Stamm said prior to the board rehiring the law firm and the solicitor.
Last year, Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration notified school districts that all state PSSA and Keystone testing would move online for the 2025-2026 school year. This requires the district to purchase Chromebooks for grades 3-5.
“Our plan remains to limit Chromebook use for young students to online benchmark assessments and special projects, as currently done,” Stamm said.
Resignations received and accepted include Teresa Lundy, custodian, retirement resignation effective July 7; Heidi Wertz, teacher, retirement resignation, effective the end of the 2024/2025 school year; Michael Bieber, teacher, retirement resignation, effective the end of the 2024/2025 school year; Elizabeth Schwenk, Ashkar aide, effective Dec. 20, 2024; and Tammy Clark, custodian, effective Jan. 16.