Lewisburg Area refinances debt, considers options for air conditioning at 3 schools
Sep. 10—Directors of the Lewisburg Area School Board on Thursday voted to refinance approximately $28 million in outstanding debt while also taking on an $8 million loan.
The refinancing savings of $2.8 million in addition to the loan money would help offset the cost of proposed HVAC upgrades at three district schools and avoid altogether depleting the district's existing $2 million in capital funds.
The capital funds are valued in the event of an emergency expense or potential savings for a project years later, such as solar energy, as discussed by the directors. The loan will result in an estimated property tax increase of 0.00017 mills over 20 mills, or less than 2 cents annually for a $100,000 property.
The refinanced debt consists of two bonds from the construction of the high school, one of which was refinanced last year, and a loan used as the district's contribution to a construction project at SUN Area Technical Institute.
All seven school board directors present Thursday voted to refinance and take the loan: Cory Heath, Erin Jablonski, Mary Brouse, Tera Unzicker-Fassero, Mary Ann Stanton, John Rowe and Virginia Zimmerman. Directors Jordan Fetzer and Lisa Clark were absent.
McClure Company's proposal includes heating upgrades and the addition of air conditioning at Kelly Elementary School, Linntown Intermediate School and Donald H. Eichhorn Middle School.
The company proposed separate project packages, one at $9.9 million and another at $10.5 million. Savings across 20 years is estimated by the company at $1.9 million and $2.1 million, respectively.
The main heating unit at Eichhorn in both packages would transition from electric to gas. The costlier package includes a more extensive conversion of miscellaneous heating units at Eichhorn from electric to gas, plus an HVAC upgrade to the district maintenance building.
Jablonski suggested moving ahead with the cheaper package, saying market volatility for natural gas might not make the added $540,318 expense at Eichhorn worth the investment. The board could opt to keep the maintenance building upgrade at an added cost of $11,766.
Alyssa Wingenfield, a McClure representative who presented the proposals to the board, suggested the directors act no later than Oct. 28 to avoid potential cost increases in the first quarter of 2022. On McClure's suggested timeline, major construction would occur between next May and September, she said.
Heath asked directors to review the proposals in the coming weeks.
Helping students grieve
Chris Ruhl, principal of Kelly Elementary, spoke about how district guidance counselors and faculty aided students grieving two deaths within the district.
Landyn Zerby died in July from injuries suffered in an automobile accident. He was 8. Library aide Amy Underhill died in August, just two days before district schools reopened.
Ruhl said school staff used the book "The Invisible String" to explain to students how people can maintain emotional bonds regardless of distance, should a friend move from the district, or death. The book was read in every class and students were engaged about their own "strings."
"They started talking about grandparents who passed away, pets that passed away, being away from mom," Ruhl said. "It really turned into an amazing opportunity for the kids to express some of their worries and concerns."
A special session was held for classmates and friends of Zerby, Ruhl said. The students put together a memory book that was presented to the boy's family at a recent memorial service.
Underhill's family had suggested donations to the library aide's hometown library in upstate New York. Ruhl said donations from the Lewisburg area exceeded $6,000 in Underhill's memory. The funds, he said, are to be used toward a memorial nook in the children's section to be dedicated in Underhill's name.
