Greensburg Salem approves borrowing up to $13 million for repairs

The Greensburg Salem School Board on Wednesday approved issuing up to $13 million in bonds to pay for school repairs, but opponents said a new school board might counteract the measure early next year.

The vote passed 6-3. Board members Charlotte Kemerer, Ron Mellinger, Nicholas Rullo, Rachel Shaw, Lynna Thomas and Steve Thomas approved, with Frank Gazze, Jeff Metrosky and Robin Savage dissenting.

Before the vote, Gazze suggested holding off having the discussion until the next school board meeting, which will have two newly sworn in members. The motion was denied, with the same vote breakdown as the bond itself.

Mellinger said a new roof for the high school, new HVAC units and other building improvements are urgent fixes that can’t wait.

“These are things we can’t put off anymore, and I just hope the new board sees it,” he said.

Newly-elected members Brian Conway and Jonathan O’Brien will replace Kemerer and Rullo next month.

The district won’t borrow all $13 million at once. It plans to borrow money as projects come up.

But that will require the approval of the school board, Mellinger said.

“Right now, it’s just on paper,” he said. “There is no bond now. It’s going to be up to the new board to decide which repairs are necessary.”

Savage said the district should use its existing reserves to pay for the most urgent repairs, rather than borrowing money.

If the district doesn’t issue more bonds it will be debt-free in six years.

She expects the new board to revisit the issue early next year.

“I think there’s a chance of it being rescinded,” she said.

Conway said he thinks the district needs to get more detailed estimates of repair costs and that he’d like to find a way to handle the repairs without issuing bonds.

“That would be a very last resort,” he said.

At a discussion meeting last week, Superintendent Gary Peiffer said approving the bond quickly, while interest rates are low, will save the district about $53,000.