District staff told the Chester County Board of Education that construction at the new multipurpose building has advanced rapidly in recent days, but soil conditions at the adjacent field house may require additional work before final surfacing.

"As of the last few days, some significant progress [has been] made in really short fashion," Mr. Kilzer said, summarizing photos and updates provided by project leadership and subcontractor Zach Malone. Staff said the exterior siding and roof lines are near completion and interior metal framing is in place.

The board discussed ongoing concerns about site drainage and soil compaction for the nearby field house. Staff said crews have been testing the subsurface to determine whether the existing soils can support turf or whether excavation and replacement will be necessary. During discussion, a staff member referenced recommendations that removal depths could range from a few inches up to about 18 inches depending on the compression test results.

District staff said the vendor proposing synthetic turf will not install the surface until soil compatibility is confirmed. Questions from board members also prompted staff to note cleanup around perimeter areas where ponding has occurred and to say that additional site work has continued since the photographic update included in the packet.

The board heard that TCAT Jackson will oversee dual-enrollment activity for the facility’s automotive and agricultural shop spaces; John Hodgson, TCAT vice president, toured the space with district leaders and called the shop area larger than what TCAT currently operates at its main campus. Subcontractor Zach Malone provided recent construction photos to the district that show the wrapping and siding details for the field house.

No board vote was taken on construction matters during the meeting. District staff said they will obtain compression-test results and provide follow-up updates to the board as work progresses.