The North Penn School District presented results of competitive bids for Phase 1 of the high school renovation at its Feb. 11 work session and recommended issuing notices of intent to award four prime contracts with selected alternates after board approval.

Mister Bob Lynch (project representative) told the board bids returned for the Phase 1 package — renovations to the K pod, the natatorium, and temporary classroom/swing space — totaled $26,000,005.59 including alternates, which the presentation described as roughly 4.1% below the project budget. Lynch said the low bids allowed the project team to include several alternates that improve long‑term performance and warranty coverage.

The administration identified the apparent low bidders for the four prime contracts as follows: Penn Builders (general contractor); JBM Mechanical (mechanical/plumbing); Burrow Construction (electrical); and Vision Mechanical (plumbing). Key selected alternates included:

- water‑service meter pit upgrades and wet taps to support future site work;
- a Tremco Thermoplastic Polyolefin (TPO) vs. Tremco TPA roofing comparison; the district selected the TPA fleece-back single‑ply roof (the district’s preferred system) as a deduct alternate to realize cost and warranty advantages;
- replacement (rather than refurbishment) of the pool bulkhead to secure a new warranty; and
- full replacement of natatorium wall tile as an aesthetic/consistency alternate.

On mechanical and control systems, the team took competitive alternates for several building-automation vendors and recommended Connexus for the building management system based on competitive pricing and district experience. The Connexus alternate price was the lowest of the building automation options, Lynch said.

Board members asked several clarifying questions about alternates and warranties. Trustee (name not specified) asked whether a two‑year contractor warranty alternate on plumbing equipment would apply at substantial completion; project staff confirmed that warranty extensions are measured from substantial completion of the plumbing contract for Phase 1. Lynch explained that the district prefers Tremco roofing products because Tremco offers an all‑encompassing manufacturer warranty that covers sheet goods, metal and heat‑welded seams rather than glued systems.

Trustees also asked about the variation in electrical bids; Lynch and project staff said Burr Construction’s electrical bid was significantly lower than competitors and that market conditions and subcontractor workload can influence bid competitiveness. Financial staff said favorable bid results are “good news” for the district’s financing story, although the bids alone would not materially change a ratings agency scorecard.

Next steps: the board approved a motion to proceed with notices of intent to award the listed contracts (motion on the Feb. 11 agenda). The administration said they will proceed with building-code reviews and non‑site interior renovation work can begin without delays from land development permits; work that requires outside permitting will be sequenced to avoid interrupting school operations.

Ending: District staff emphasized the work is a primer for the larger renovation project and that early procurement of Phase 1 is designed to limit escalation risk and secure preferred products and warranties.