Hempfield Area OKs study for renovating or rebuilding high school

Members of the Hempfield Area School Board are moving forward with a feasibility study that will look into the possibility of renovating or rebuilding the high school.

Board members on Monday unanimously voted to hire SitelogIQ, a Minnesota-based company that has an office in Oakmont, at a cost that will not exceed $22,500. A reimbursable allowance of $2,000 for printing of the final report was included in the motion.

The study, which was first discussed in November by Superintendent Tammy Wolicki and district business manager Wayne Wismar, would determine what type of project is possible at the high school based on the number and type of projects that may come up at other district buildings over the next several years.

“We view this outcome, the final product, as being a tool that will help us to make decisions for capital improvements for determining the amount of money we … are able to put into a project, whether it’s a renovation or rebuild of the high school,” Wolicki said during Monday’s meeting.

The high school was built in 1956 and was renovated in 1966, 1978, 1988 and 2006. The oldest school in the district is Harrold Middle School, which was built in 1921. The newest schools are Stanwood Elementary and Wendover Middle schools, both of which were built in 1971.

The study will take up to nine months to complete and will help the district develop a comprehensive facilities improvement plan.

If the board decides to move forward with a renovation or rebuild of the high school, members would then select an architect for the project design, which could take about 18 months. Projected construction would begin between fall of 2023 and spring of 2024. Renovation of the high school could take between two and three years and a rebuild would take about two years.

As the feasibility study is conducted, updates will be provided to the board.

“We are looking forward to that project,” Wolicki said of the study.