$2 million high school redesign project is approved

The Delaware Valley School District on April 15 approved one of the options of the High School Front Redesign Project at a cost of $2.15 million.

It authorizes Burkavage Design Associates, at a cost not to exceed 6 percent of the project’s cost, to prepare construction documents and make the necessary submissions for regulatory approval and act on the district’s behalf to engage consultants, testing agencies or other professional services to complete the documents.

District Business Administrator Bill Hessling told the Board of Education that Option 1 – which the school board approved – recommends using 70 percent of the cost from a federal grant and use the rest from the capital project fund.

Hessling said he thought it was best to maximize federal dollars for the expansion of the cafeteria. The school needs more space to accommodate the student population of Delaware Valley High School.

Superintendent John Bell said six feet of distance is still required between students in the cafeteria because they must take their masks off to eat.

There are about 1,550 students at the school.

The cafeteria as it stands has 62 tables with two students per table and over three lunch periods that adds up to 372 students. Two more cafeterias and the freshman gym brings the school to 1,300.

The cafeteria expansion project will bring the school to about 1,700 seats.

“We’re going from having a deficit to having a surplus and we might be able to get rid of those spaces that don’t work so well by having this space,” Bell said. “That puts us in a really good place and there won’t be any restrictions no matter how many kids come back.”

Hessling said the district expects to get $4.8 million from the American Rescue Plan, recently approved by the federal government.

He said 20 percent must be spent on learning loss. About $1.5 million, which is expected to be used for the cafeteria expansion, and roughly $600,000 for additional technology.

The district also can use $550,000 for elementary math series textbooks.

Hessling said those funds can be used through the 2023-24 school year.