KCSD facilities committee flags $960,000 HVAC need, reports unresolved sewer dispute with Mill Hall Borough
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Summary
Keystone Central School District facilities committee told the board it found Mill Hall sewer and grease traps clean after summer maintenance, but Mill Hall Borough still blames the district; the committee also recommended prioritizing about $960,000 in HVAC work at Woodward and Mill Hall elementary schools and listed other deferred maintenance.
Keystone Central School District officials told the board on Sept. 4 that a routine summer cleaning found the Mill Hall Borough sewer and grease traps in good condition, but the borough continues to assert the district is responsible for additional grease or debris.
The facilities committee also briefed the board on a prioritized maintenance plan that includes about $960,000 to address HVAC needs at Woodward Elementary and Mill hall Elementary, work to adapt the high school family and consumer science lab, and multiple other deferred projects across district properties.
The committee said District staff cleaned grease traps and the sewer system in June and found them “in really good condition,” but that Mill Hall Borough in early August continued to attribute grease or rags to district use despite limited summer kitchen activity. The committee reported that David Lindsey, the district solicitor, was asked to respond to the borough and that no reply had been received at the time of the work session.
Facilities committee members said the highest immediate priorities are HVAC work at two elementary buildings. The committee recommended using portable HVAC units in classrooms at Woodward to get through the coming year, while Mill Hall Elementary will require exterior condenser replacements for many interior classrooms because its layout prevents the use of portable units. Combined, replacing failing equipment at both buildings is estimated at about $960,000, “about what we had budgeted,” the committee said.
Committee members listed additional projects that lack funding: a new water supply for the Bucktail athletic field; chiller replacements at Central Mountain High School; a pole barn for maintenance equipment; roof replacement at the maintenance warehouse; and various concrete and sidewalk repairs near Mill Hall Elementary. The district reported it received a letter from Mill Hall Borough ordering replacement of a deteriorated sidewalk near the elementary school and plans to replace that section of concrete.
The facilities committee said it will prioritize HVAC work given the constrained budget and present details to administration and the board as funding decisions proceed.
The board did not take a formal vote on these recommendations during the work session; members asked for continued updates and prioritized clarity about funding sources.
