Seneca Valley Construction Projects, Captured Entrances, Coming to Fruition

Three major construction projects are coming to a close in the Seneca Valley School District.

At Monday’s school board meeting, Robert Cook, the district’s director of buildings, grounds and security, said work on a new roof for the senior high school finished earlier that day.

He added construction on the project, which began in June, was supposed to end earlier in the summer, but was delayed because of wet weather.

The total cost for the project is $328,308, including $4,771 in change orders, he said. The old high school roof, which had a 10-year warranty that expired in 2004, was close to 20 years old.

“We are looking very, very good on that project and we are moving ahead and plan to get everything cleaned up and in Dumpsters this week,” Cook said.

Also finishing up this week is the addition of new HVAC systems at the intermediate and senior high schools.

The total cost for that project, which also began in June, was $667,390, including $726 in change orders, Cook said. 

Work also is taking place on captured entrances for the senior high school, intermediate high school the middle school at the district’s secondary campus in Jackson Township.

Captured entrances route visitors to the office before entering the main building where the students are located. In 2011, the district added the entrances to Haine Middle School and Haine and Evans City elementary schools. 

The security measures already were in place at Rowan and Connoquenessing Valley elementary schools.

At the time, officials considered adding the captured entrances at the secondary campus but ultimately decided against it because of budgetary constraints. They changed their minds after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. last December that left 20 students and six teachers dead

The total cost for the project is $115,400. Cook said construction on the captured entrances should be finished by Nov. 4. He noted all the work is being done after students have left the buildings for the day.

“At this point, we are pretty much right on schedule with that project,” he said.