A design rendering of the planned addition to Mount Nittany Elementary School has captured the attention. Image by Crabtree Rohrbaugh & Associates. Construction is set to commence soon on this significant project, which aims to address capacity issues at the 13-year-old school. The State College Area School Board took decisive action on Monday night, unanimously approving base bids and alternate bids. This renovation and expansion will add a new wing and bring much-needed relief to the school. Work is expected to begin as early as January and be completed by the start of the 2026-27 school year.

Key Details of the Project

Base Bids

The base bids for the project totaled $21,052,700. General construction was awarded to eciConstruction at $13,670,000. HVAC work went to Silvertip, Inc. for $3,278,000. Plumbing was handled by Silvertip, Inc. at $920,700, and electrical work was awarded to Lecce Electric, Inc. for $3,184,000.

Alternate Bids

Three alternate bids amounting to $301,900 were approved. This includes an outdoor storage structure, a sod athletic field, and a condition for contractors to be responsible for any encountered rock during excavation and foundation work. A fourth alternate to extend the school's current automation system resulted in a reduction of $106,300 from the base bid total.

Solar Array

A solar array is included in the base bid, costing $380,580. Approximately 30% of this cost is expected to come from Inflation Reduction Act funding, and the district may receive another 30% from the state Department of Community and Economic Development's Solar for Schools Grant Program. If both funds are awarded, the district's cost for the array will be $152,232. Supplying about 1% of the district's electricity, the array has a 30-year lifespan. Director of Physical Plant Mike Fisher informed the board that the district would see payback by year 11. Additionally, the district may sell surplus solar power from the multi-agency Solar Power Purchase Agreement cooperative to help recoup costs.

Plans and Additions

Plans include 36,627 square feet of additions and 2,939 square feet of renovations. The project will add six classrooms, special education rooms, a large group instruction room, a STEM and music room, and a dedicated cafeteria. Work will also include a bus drop-off loop and parking lot accessible from the existing parking area shared with Mount Nittany Middle School. There will be a new main entrance and playing fields on the east side of the building.With a student capacity of about 450, Mount Nittany Elementary's 18 existing classrooms are typically at full use. In recent years, this has led to the need to move two fifth-grade classrooms to the nearby Panorama Village building. Mount Nittany Elementary was the only of the district's eight elementary schools identified as having immediate capacity concerns that need to be addressed, based on an analysis of enrollment trends and projections over 10 years conducted by Crabtree Rohrbaugh, with additional projections provided by school enrollment analytics firm DecisionInsite.