In Council Rock, the untouched 40 year old school buildings will each need $10 to $12 million dollars for renovations. What will it cost here in Morrisville?
Crews remove asbestos tiles from schools
Next year, renovations at each school will begin to update the more than 40-year-old buildings.
By RACHEL CANELLI
Churchville and Holland elementary schools aren’t just closed for the summer — they’re sealed.
Work is under way at both buildings in Northampton to remove asbestos tile flooring in the classrooms to prepare for future renovations, according to Superintendent Mark Klein.
Together, the abatement projects, which cost less than $300,000, are the first part of a two- to three-year renovation process at each school, officials said.
Since serious illness can be caused by inhaling asbestos, which is a group of minerals with long, thin, fibrous crystals, both schools have been closed up, and their offices have been temporarily relocated to modular structures, administrators said.
Klein emphasized that neither school has asbestos problems and that the shutdowns are precautions.
“The tiles served each school well, but they need to be taken off by a professional contractor,” he said.
After this month’s construction, desks and chairs will be returned to the classrooms, where floors will be covered by area rugs, officials said.
The renovations are expected to begin next summer. Each of the two projects is estimated to cost between $10 million to $12 million, but those numbers could change depending on yet-to-be-determined design details and bids, administrators said.
At the very least, Churchville and Holland should receive new heating and air-conditioning systems, refurbished classrooms, updated libraries and new computers, officials said.
“Both schools need significant work because they haven’t been touched in the 40 years they’ve been in service,” Klein said. “This should add another 25 to 30 years to their life cycle.”
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
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From today's BCCT, Bensalem's Snyder Middle School is getting a geothermal heating and air conditioning system as part of its $10 million renovation.
Snyder goes green
By JOAN HELLYER
Bucks County Courier Times
Cecelia Snyder Middle School is going green during a $10 million facelift under way this summer, district officials said.
As part of its top-to-bottom makeover, the nearly 50-year-old Bensalem school is being equipped with a geothermal heating and air conditioning system, said Robert Moseley, the district's facilities manager. Geothermal systems use shallow ground energy to heat and cool buildings.
The underground energy is extracted without burning a fossil fuel and reduces the country's dependence on foreign oil, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. In addition, compared to air-source systems, the geothermal units are quieter, have a longer life span, require little maintenance and are not dependent on outside air temperatures.
The geothermal system costs about 50 percent more than a traditional heating and ventilating system, Moseley said. However, Bensalem expects to see a payback on its investment within five years, much like it did with the geothermal unit installed a few years ago at Russell C. Struble Elementary School. It saves the district about $100,000 a year in energy costs, he said.
The renovation project began a year ago when crews removed asbestos-containing floors and ceilings. Asbestos is a fibrous material previously used in construction projects. Its fibers have the potential to cause many diseases including lung cancer if they become airborne.
Snyder students and staff endured stripped down rooms and halls during the past school year while crews worked in the evenings on some minor renovations, Moseley said.
The bulk of the work began June 13 when the school year ended. In addition to the geothermal unit, crews also are installing a new electric system, a sprinkler system, new floors, bathrooms and drop ceilings, Moseley said.
The project also involves moving the main office to the front of the building facing Hulmeville Road for security purposes, he said. Previously the main entrance was the same as the bus entrance on the side of the building. The bus entrance remains the same, but everyone else has to go to the front of the school to get in, said Moseley.
Most of the project is expected to be done by September in time for the new school year, he said.
Joan Hellyer can be reached at 215-949-4048 or jhellyer@phillyBurbs.com.
Need help?
During the renovation project, the Cecelia Snyder Middle School administrative staff has relocated to the library at the neighboring Benjamin Rush Elementary School. All Snyder registrations and withdrawals will be handled at Rush, district officials said. Call 215-750-2800, ext. 2300 for more information.
July 9, 2008 6:35 AM
I'm kind of getting the impression that renovations of existing 50+ year old school buildings generally involve significant asbestos abatement.
Significant is a relative term, but yeah, there is asbestos in the buildings. Asbestos was outlawed in the early 70's, I believe (74?).That doesn't necessarily make it unsafe if it is left alone. The biggest threat asbestos poses is if you stir it up. That said, it should be abated regardless.
As far as this and the Council Rock renovations go, let me do the math... $10M renovations per building... Hmmm... 3 buildings... $30M -- wow, that's cheap! You can't build a new school for.... um... oh, never mind.
I've thoroughly and scientifically examined some of the relative risks involved with some projects around town. The results are:
1. Chance of painful kidney injury from handlebar impact on proposed (now dead) new school bike path = 100%
2. Chance of epic flooding from proposed (now dead) new school stormwater management system = 100%
3. Chance of contracting West Nile Virus from mosquitos that would have bred in standing water in proposed (now dead) new school stormwater management system = 100%
4. Chance of drowning in fenced in detention basin of proposed (now dead) new school stormwater management system = 100%
5. Chance of contracting radon-related ailments in proposed (now dead) new school = 100%
6. Chance of epic flooding from proposed Gateway Project = 100%
7. Chance of contracting asbestos-related ailments from actual existing asbestos in actual existing schools = 0%
8. Chance of contracting radon-related ailments from actual existing radon in the soil underneath the actual existing schools = 0%
9. Chance of drowning in actual existing orange plastic fenced in ditch at new Penna. Ave./Rt. 1 interchange under construction = 0%
Reading Jon's comments on the blog? Priceless.
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