State may void Greencastle-Antrim School District building plan

A letter from the Pennsylvania Department of Education spurred an agenda item for Thursday’s school board meeting. Superintendent Greg Hoover received a notice from James Vogel, PDE architectural consultant, stating there had been no activity on PlanCon since an architectural review conference in March 2011. Also, there had been no movement since the board put the project on hold last April.

In late 2010 G-ASD signed up for PlanCon A/B, with a $28.5 million building project in mind. EI Associates was to show PDE a report justifying the project under Part A, and to present the schematic design for a connector addition and alterations for the high school and middle school under Part B. The plan under consideration would raise property taxes 8.19 mills but give the district $19 million in state reimbursement.

Hoover put the matter on the agenda so the board could vote on it. He predicted the response of PDE on the district’s postponement of construction.

“They’ll probably take us out if we don’t move forward. And the chances of building...unless there’s a miracle. And I don’t know where that miracle would come from.”

Vogel asked for information in order for PDE to determine if it should be maintained as an active project.

“If no response is received within 30 days, this project will be voided,” he wrote.