Jul 11, 2016 3 min read

Peters Township School Board agreed at a special meeting Monday to apply for PlanCon Part C funding from the state to acquire 97 acres of Rolling Hills Country Club in McMurray.

The board also got an overview of the Peters Township High School building from Hayes Design Group Architects, the Bridgeville firm it hired earlier this year to examine the structure, which was built in the 1960s, and make recommendations on updates that need to be made.

Peters Township School District is working jointly with the township to acquire the 198-acre site from a group of residential developers who just acquired the property. The district said it would like to use the land for a new school. The township, meanwhile, said it would like to use the land for recreational needs, including a new swimming pool.

Jeannine French, district superintendent, said the request for PlanCon Part C funding does not mean the district will proceed with plans to buy and build a new school. Instead, she said, it is a necessary first step that will ensure the district will receive reimbursement – as much as 46 percent – from the state if it does decide to move forward.

“We cannot acquire the land without PlanCon C,” she said.

But in passing the resolution to request state funding, the district disclosed an offer it made June 13 to buy the land was rejected in writing June 27 by the attorneys representing the developers, who include the principals of Horizon Properties, a Southpointe developer, and Heartland Homes, a former residential development company.

In a summary of its major findings at the high school, Hayes Design Group said the roof is in fair condition. Portions of the roof over the auditorium and gymnasium are more than 15 years old and experiencing ponding issues and will need to be replaced in one to two years.

The windows in the classrooms in the part of the building constructed in 1968 are original. They are single pane and are in poor condition, the report said.

Peeling paint on the under side of the roof deck has led to the presence of large paint chips on the gymnasium floor. Hayes said this is likely attributed to inadequate ventilation and air conditioning, as well as a poor application of paint.

Very little of the school’s swimming pool filtration equipment has been replaced, and some of the parts are nearing the end of their useful life, leading to pool closures to allow for repairs.

The building’s sprinkler system is in working order, but there are areas of the building that do not have sprinklers. In addition, the report said the building’s fire alarm and intercom system was installed in 1999. These systems usually last 25 years and may need to be replaced in the next five to 10 years.