Freeport school board expects tax increase as renovation plans solidify
BUFFALO TWP — The Freeport Area School Board broke down renovation plans for the high school at a Wednesday, Jan. 15 meeting, but noted that a tax increase for the district is inevitable.
The meeting was attended by Vic Cawthorne and Vince Ordinario from HHSDR Architects & Engineers and Jamie Doyle from PFM Financial Advisors, who helped the board navigate the cost, timeline and financial aspect of the plans.
The board had narrowed to two plans: a minimal renovation and a full-scale renovation for the high school. The minimal renovation’s estimated cost is around $22 million, while the full-scale renovation would cost roughly $55 million.
The smaller renovation project focuses on four primary aspects of the building: windows, roof, HVAC and lights.
For the partial renovation, the current HVAC system would be replaced, with the addition of air conditioning. A full renovation would see a new roof-mounted system, one that Ordinario said would be quieter and safer.
Another point, raised by director Sylvia Maxwell, was the difference for windows in each plan, citing safety concerns with current windows. The smaller plan would replace the windows, while the full renovation would provide the opportunity to change the windows’ shape or size.
Director John Haven asked HHSDR members if a hybridized plan was possible.
Ordinario replied that HHSDR would be willing to work on a hybrid plan, but raised concerns about projects overlapping.
“The four items we pulled out were the four that were easily done without affecting other things in the building,” Ordinario said. “We can do a hybrid, but just keep in mind that if you want to do certain things, that could trigger doing something else in addition.”
Cawthorne explained further, using the example of how the roof-mounted HVAC would require floor tiling and wall masonry due to the removal of the old system.
“So, what starts to happen with these partial renovations is that when you make them more elaborate, like with the HVAC, it’s work in the room to the point where you may just want to renovate the entire room,” Cawthorne said.
The conversation pivoted toward the financial side, and members of the board began to consider ways to pay for either of the plans.
According to Brad Walker, the district’s director of finance and operations, the $25 million plan would require the board to add $1.3 million over three years to its bottom-line revenue. For the $55 million plan, this number increased to $2.9 million.
The school district’s budget expenditures for the 2024-25 academic year was $38.45 million, and revenue was $37.55 million.
“It’s a lot of money and a tax burden. That has to go against our operating costs on a day-to-day basis and putting money away for this,” Walker said. “A one-year increase is not enough.”
Board members inquired to the hypothetical of raising taxes to the state index of 5.3%. Walker stated that increase would only generate $1.1 million in new money for the district.
If funding is pursued over three years, the full renovation would require a tax referendum. Doyle stated that while referendums, which must be approved by voters, can work, they also frequently fail.
“There have been more than a dozen failed referendums across the Commonwealth since 2006,” Doyle said. “There’s a very detailed timeline that goes along with it, and it’s certainly not easy.”
The board asked Doyle to review the timeline provided by HHSDR to see if the district could collect money over a longer period. At first glance, Doyle expressed belief that it could.
Board president Gary Risch expressed hopes to get a finalized plan on the agenda soon.
“I think we’re getting very close to putting this on an agenda,” Risch said. “If we had that information and the building committee’s recommendations on a couple more things on the hybrid plan, I’m prepared to put something on the agenda in the next three months.”
Deliberation on the renovation plans will continue at 7 p.m. at the Feb. 12 meeting. Board members encouraged members of the public to share their opinions on the matter.
