• On Monday, September 9, 2019, at the Committee of the Whole Meeting, the Owen J. Roberts Board of School Directors received the final Facilities Feasibility Study Report prepared by Marotta Main Architects. 

    • The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania requests that school districts complete a study of their resources and facilities on a periodic basis to establish their ability to meet both current and planned educational program needs. The study is meant to reflect ideas for a long-term plan that will result in creative use of facilities that provide for the educational needs of students while incorporating community needs. Among other factors, the study examines the degree to which the facilities meet current safety and construction standards. The full study provides estimated costs of repairs and upgrades and may be used as a planning tool for School Board decision making. 
    • The Owen J. Roberts Board of School Directors approved Marotta Main Architects of Lancaster to conduct the study. Using best practice protocol, a Steering Committee comprised of School Board members, District personnel, representatives from all seven Townships, residents, and parents was formed. Beginning in October, 2018, the Steering Committee met over a period of many months to seek and sort stakeholder input to make sure that the ideas and concerns of all constituents were heard. The Committee was instructed not to start with preconceived ideas except to recognize all possibilities to conserve physical, financial, and human resources. 
    • The Steering Committee worked to engage as many stakeholders as possible including residents, businesses, District personnel, students, and community based organizations. Several formats (widely-advertised town hall meeting, survey, etc.) were utilized to gather stakeholder input and Marotta Main was pleased with the robust participation. 
    • The entire Board of School Directors was kept abreast of the study process every step of the way. All documents and Steering Committee meeting minutes were provided on a regular basis. A Feasibility Study Board Workshop was held on April 2, 2019. 
    • The final report prepared by Marotta Main Architects is a reflection of the input given to the Steering Committee. The ideas reflected as priority areas are those that were a result of items identified for necessary construction, repair or replacement identified by site/civil, structural, and mechanical engineers; items that received the strongest stakeholder input; or important matters identified through the professional safety and security assessment.

     What is the next step moving forward? 

     

    The final report displays an open timeline.  The Board of School Directors will utilize ideas from this report to develop a capital plan this year that will result in creative use of facilities that provide for the educational needs of students while incorporating community needs.