The Haverford Township School District Board of Directors voted April 24 to award construction contracts for the Coopertown Elementary School additions and renovation project, approve a package of change orders and equipment purchases, and accept a board-level alternate to install a 129.6-kilowatt roof-mounted solar array.

District and contractor representatives described a project budget of about $29.15 million in total project costs, excluding a separate solar line item the board considered as an add alternate. Ken Matthews, representing the district’s architects, said the hard construction bids plus recommended alternates produced “hard construction costs of a little over $24,000,000” and that adding soft costs and a recommended contingency brought the “total project budget to $29,151,000.”

The board approved the low bidder for general construction, awarded the HVAC, plumbing and electrical contracts, and authorized direct purchase of major electrical equipment to reduce lead-time risk. In roll-call motions later in the meeting, board members formally approved change orders, authorizations for several CoStar vendor purchases and the solar add alternate.

Why it matters: The Coopertown work is the final elementary renovation that brings the district closer to parity of amenities among its five elementary schools and removes modular classrooms at that site. District leaders also told the board that stabilizing long-term operating costs for the district — particularly electricity — factored into the decision to add a rooftop solar array now, even though the array is smaller than earlier feasibility studies had modeled.

What the board approved

- Award general construction contract to ER Stubener Incorporated (Reading, Pa.) for $13,427,000 (award motion passed)."
- Award HVAC contract to Guy M. Cooper, Inc. (Willow Grove, Pa.) for $2,995,000 (award motion passed).
- Award plumbing contract to GM Mechanical (Alden, Pa.) for $2,278,800 (award motion passed).
- Award electrical contract to Borrow Construction (King of Prussia, Pa.) for $5,322,000, including Alternate EC-1 (award motion passed).
- Approve direct purchase of major electrical equipment from Denny Electric (generator and transfer switches) for $325,900 (motion passed).
- Approve solar electrical Alternate EC-3 (129.6 kW roof-mounted PV) to Borrow Construction in the amount of $395,000 (motion passed).
- Approve change orders recommended by the owner’s representative (totaling $104,717.98; motion passed).

Board and staff presentation

Ken Matthews and district owner’s representatives told the board bids came in about 3% over the project estimate by the district’s third-party cost estimator, which the presenters described as within an acceptable range given recent market volatility. Matthews said many trade bids were competitive and consistent, which he said reflected the clarity of the contract documents.

Jamie (district finance advisor) and the district’s financial advisor outlined the financing plan to close out the capital program. Jamie said the district plans a cleanup bond issue in early 2026 to fund remaining project costs and noted the district’s prior conservative interest-rate estimates. If the district borrows to fund the balance (and the solar), Jamie said the district’s long-term millage impact for the full set of capital projects is expected to remain below half a mill, based on current assumptions.

Solar: size, cost and rationale

The board discussed the size and timing of the proposed solar array at length. The add alternate approved by the board would install a roughly 129.6-kilowatt rooftop system on part of Coopertown’s roof; district staff said the array was chosen to fit within the current project budget and district financing assumptions while delivering operating cost savings and classroom learning opportunities.

Matthews told the board the district estimated a roughly 10–12-year simple payback on the selected array size under current assumptions (noting potential variation if federal incentives like the Inflation Reduction Act or retail electricity rates change). Public speakers and several board members argued for a solar commitment now, citing long-term utility cost reduction and educational value. Parents, students and college-affiliated experts addressed the board during the meeting’s public-comment period and urged approval; public commenters included energy consultant Steve Clark and Drexel University professor Jason Baxter.

Votes at a glance (motions taken April 24)

- Motion to approve disbursements/payments (motion passed; amount read at the meeting was garbled in the record and is listed as not specified here).
- Motion to authorize $104,717.98 in change orders recommended by the owner’s representative (motion passed).
- Motion to award the Coopertown general construction contract to ER Stubener Incorporated for $13,427,000 (motion passed).
- Motion to award the HVAC contract to Guy M. Cooper Incorporated for $2,995,000 (motion passed).
- Motion to award the plumbing contract to GM Mechanical for $2,278,800 (motion passed).
- Motion to award the electrical contract to Borrow Construction for $5,322,000 (motion passed).
- Motion to approve Denny Electric as a CoStar vendor and purchase main electrical equipment (generator and transfer switches) for $325,900 (motion passed).
- Motion to award the solar electrical alternate (EC-3, 129.6 kW roof-mounted PV) to Borrow Construction for $395,000 (motion passed).

What the record does not show

The board and staff described financial modeling and contingency decisions but did not present a full, line-by-line solar economic model in public during the meeting. The district’s finance staff said a cleanup bond transaction is planned for early 2026; that borrowing and final interest rates will determine the precise millage effect.

Next steps

District staff said they will proceed with contract execution for the awarded trades and continue to finalize financing for the project. The board also indicated they will track potential future grant opportunities should the district choose to expand rooftop PV capacity on Coopertown or other schools.

Ending

Board members who spoke in favor cited long-term operating cost savings, educational benefits and the goal of providing similar amenities across the district’s elementary schools. Several public speakers urged the board to install solar as an investment in both district finances and climate education; the board’s votes on April 24 authorize the district to proceed with the awarded construction contracts and the modest rooftop solar array.