Knoch board approves renovation plans
The upgrade of Knoch High School marches on, as plans for the $35 million renovation project were approved by school board members Wednesday night.
Superintendent David Foley said on Thursday that the prospective plans presented to the public last month by architect Cassandra Renninger of DRAW Collective are now the final plans for the project.
Foley said designers will spend about six months drawing up specifications in anticipation of the school district advertising for bids.
He said the plans err on the conservative side regarding cost because the construction market is so volatile, meaning more improvements could be added if bids come in under expectations.
“There is a possibility that we could be putting additional items into the project, or we might have to pull some things out, depending on the costs at the time we’re doing it,” Foley said.
Foley said he hopes to garner financial support from industries in the community to create a new $2 million technical education center at the school, and many local industrial leaders have met with him to hear his ideas.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to collaborate and do some good things for our students in the school that will certainly pay dividends in the community,” Foley said. “Our graduates are going to be their employees and many (employees) are parents of our students.”
He said Penn United Technologies has agreed to help support changing the marquee along Dinnerbell Road from “South Butler County” to “Knoch” school district.
Foley hopes to see work on the high school renovation project begin in spring 2023 and continue through the summer.
Regarding the upgrade project at the district’s athletic stadium, Foley said digging is slated to begin in early September.
That project will add artificial turf, correct drainage issues and add other upgrades at and around the stadium.
He could not give a finish date for the stadium project due to the plethora of unknown factors involved in construction projects at this time.
