Contractors tentatively approved for construction at Chief Elementary School

Francis Scarcella, The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pa.
·2 min read
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Jul. 9—SUNBURY — The Shikellamy school board approved a Dillsburg contractor Thursday night at a price of $3.4 million for the construction of the Chief Shikellamy Elementary School building project.

Chief Shikellamy, in Upper Augusta Township, will be getting an addition after Beck Elementary, in Sunbury, was shuttered in March.

At the school board meeting, Lobar Inc., was approved by the school board at the price of $3.4 million, while the board also approved Myco Mechanical Inc., of Telford, for HVAC at a price of $849,000, and Ag Management LLC, of Nanticoke at a price of $38,000 for plumbing work.

The last contract went to G.R. Noto Electrical Construction Inc., of Clark Summit, at a price of $697,000 for electrical work.

Beck Elementary School will officially close at the beginning of 2022.

The project includes turning Beck Elementary into district administration offices as well as hosting sixth- through 12th-grade virtual academy classes. The district would also rent a section to the Intermediate Unit, according to directors.

The restructuring would make Oaklyn and Priestley Elementary Schools the district's kindergarten- through second-grade buildings, Chief Shikellamy Elementary the district's third- through fifth-grade building, and leave the middle school and high school as they are currently.

The total cost of the project with alternates, which includes road widening at Chief Elementary, is around $6.2 million, for the additions and renovations of the 61,634 square foot building. The proposal is to add 17,514 square feet to the existing structure in order to expand and add classrooms, according to business manager Brian Manning.

Superintendent Jason Bendle said the construction will include the addition of 13 classrooms for third through fifth grades.

The project cannot move forward until the district is approved by Upper Augusta Township supervisors. Bendle said the district would be meeting with supervisors later this month.