The design phase of several North Allegheny schools was able to proceed in December once a construction manager, architect and energy consultant were approved during the November school board meeting.
Hosack, Ingomar and Peebles elementary schools, as well as Phase 1 of the high school, began their design phases, with construction slated for spring 2027.
Brandon Chabula, the district’s director of facilities, shared the details in a capital projects presentation at the meeting.
“These are still estimated dates for completion and the start of all of these different phases. Since we proposed that timeline back in January (2025), we’re still holding pretty true,” he said.
Concept and schematic phases have been completed on these schools, according to Chabula.
Next steps for the project include reviewing the findings of the Guaranteed Energy Savings Act report at the end of January. The elementary, high school and natatorium projects will go out to bid for construction in fall 2026, with the actual start of construction in 2027 and a goal of completing them in 2028, Chabula said.
The intermediate high school is still in the concept and schematic phase with a proposed construction beginning in spring 2028 and completion in 2030.
The board approved SchraderGroup — A Hord Coplan Macht Studio as the architect to prepare the necessary plans and specifications, and to provide all required design development, construction documents and oversight services for the additions and renovations for Hosack, Ingomar and Peebles elementary schools and the intermediate and senior high schools, including the natatorium.
SitelogIQ was approved as the construction manager to provide all necessary design development, construction management and oversight services for the schools.
The McClure Co., no relation to school board director Richard McClure, was approved to complete an investment-grade audit for the purposes of entering into a guaranteed energy savings contract.
Chabula also presented a review of the district’s capital projects.
Various projects were completed throughout the district over the past year, totaling more than $2.7 million. These ranged from replacing an outdated drinking fountain at Ingomar Elementary with a bottle-filler drinking fountain to the replacement of HVAC and energy management systems at Peebles Elementary.
Other projects included renovations at the central administration office boardroom and the weight room at the intermediate high school, and a districtwide beautification grounds program.
Next school year’s proposed facilities planned project list sits at $1.952 million, which is $830,000 less than projects completed in the current school year.
This number does not include technology projects or preconstruction costs for planned renovations.
School board director McClure said the proposed projects still have to go through the normal bidding and approval process by the board.
Just a few of the proposed projects and their projected cost for next school year include replacing the gym bleachers at the high school for $677,000; roof repair at Franklin Elementary School for $90,000; a third phase of replacing energy management controls at Carson Middle School for $215,000; and replacement of two HVAC units at Ingomar Middle School for $175,000.
A 2019 bond has enough to fund this fiscal year and planned capital projects for next year, excluding preconstruction costs for planned renovations, according to a preliminary budget presentation.
As that bond is “winding down,” the project list is lighter this year, according to Chabula.
“We got six years of capital projects completed out of that 2019 bond,” Chabula said.
The capital project and renovations are guided by the district’s Strategic Comprehensive Plan’s five goals, including the fourth goal of Facilities for the Future.
A full list and photos of the projects are available on the Nov. 12 agenda, located under the School Board BoardDocs tab at northallegheny.org.