October Recap: Renovations & Referendum

The North Penn School District has been in discussion about NPHS renovations and a voter referendum over the past several months. The Knight Crier will publish monthly installments on any updates regarding renovation planning and a referendum. Here is our recap of everything in October.

MJ Tareq, Staff Writer • October 30, 2023

CRACKS IN THE FORTRESS: Crumbling concrete along the front steps of NPHS reveals much needed infrastructure changes that are visible in and outside of North Penn High School.

With the upcoming election for school board candidates and the approval of a date for the voter referendum on renovation plans, the possibilities for the future of North Penn High School are coming into more focus.

“Thursday [October 19] the school board officially approved the resolution, naming January 16th a special election for the purposes of the electorate to go to vote,” NPHS Administrator of Secondary Education and Renovations Pete Nicholson said.

The vote decides whether or not “ the district takes on debt above the Act 1 index for purposes of moving ninth grade to the high school,” Nicholson added.

But why are we going to vote in January? Why not during the primary election in April?

Long story short, the board believes it is better for the community.

“The board decided to hold the special election in January, to save taxpayers money. The fourteen weeks between January and April, [or any amount of time you wait] prices go up. And when you look at a four-hundred-three million dollar project, those fourteen weeks of construction being bumped back really cost us,” Nicholson said.

How much would this cost the taxpayers exactly?

Per numbers presented by the Chief Financial Officer of North Penn School District, Stephen Skrocki at the October 10th board meeting NPHS Option 1 Renovation Estimate 10-10-23 the fourteen weeks would cost taxpayers around four million dollars.

“There are many stipulations and timelines with any voting, certain timelines you have to hit in order to put any ballot question on any ballot,” Nicholson said. The decision to go to a special election on January 16th was carefully calculated, and it is the best decision from both a financial and community perspective.

Also during the October 10th board meeting, more costs were outlined for bringing ninth grade up to North Penn High School, and the possibility of other changes on campus as well.

“Refining the types and numbers of spaces we need if we are integrating 9th-12th there has also been some refinement for parking and a possible connector for driveways on campus to Sumneytown Pike,” Nicholson said.

In the past month, there have been multiple opportunities every other Tuesday at 6 p.m. open to the community for tours of North Penn High School. These tours are purposed to show the taxpayers the parts of the school that are in dire need of critical repairs.

“When folks see the infrastructure and understand the main building was made for twenty-four hundred [students], and we are currently at thirty-one hundred, and they see outdated systems and a lack of natural light, I think it is an eye-opening experience for folks,” Nicholson stated.