District to seek permits for Valley School project

The school board Wednesday approved the application for township building permits needed for a major renovation project at Valley Elementary School.

Jack Myers, the district's director of business operations, said the cost of a replacement of the 1976 school's heating, ventilation and air conditioning system is tentatively estimated at $5 million, with bids having already been sought.

That money, he said, will come from the district's capital reserve fund and a 2007 bond issue.

The planned project features a geothermal well field outside the school. Myers explained that that would comprise a series of about 100 wells, each 400 feet deep, through which water would be circulated to heat and cool the building using the earth’s temperature retention characteristics.

“It's as green as you can go,” he said, while explaining that similar well fields are already in place at the Cecelia Snyder Middle and Russell C. Struble Elementary schools.

He said the planned well field would pay for itself in savings in seven to 10 years.

Drilling could begin as early as this spring, he said. The entire project, he said, could take one or two summers to complete.

In other business Wednesday, the board approved a plan to take oversight of four classes being provided in-district by the Bucks County Intermediate Unit . The classes are autistic support at Bensalem High School and Snyder Middle School and language learning support at Struble and Cornwells elementary schools.

Under the plan, which must also be approved by the IU board, the IU teachers involved would be offered the positions by the district.

Myers said the change, which would go into effect next school year, is seen as a means to save the district money.