Grant Elementary upgrades on hold

EPHRATA — The Ephrata School District is putting planned upgrades to Grant Elementary on hold, citing greatly increased costs of construction. An October public hearing is being planned to get public feedback on how to manage remaining bond proceeds intended for work at the Grant Elementary campus.

“To say that we are disappointed that we cannot afford to fulfill the promises we made in the 2019 bond is an understatement,” wrote Ephrata School District Superintendent Tim Payne in a press release issued Sept. 15. “We turned over every rock we could to find the money needed to complete this project. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t enough.”

In a release issued in June, district officials announced the remodeling of the Performing Arts Center at Ephrata High School, including the PAC gym, would be delayed. District officials anticipated the Grant Elementary project would go out to bid in the fall, but rising costs pushed the project out of the district’s existing budget.

“At that time, the project was anticipated to return bids 55% higher than budgeted in 2019,” the release said. “Over the summer anticipated bids were expected to be higher again by an additional 8%, meaning the project costs would be 63% higher than the original budget.”

Higher costs for remodeling at Columbia Ridge Elementary and Ephrata Middle School compounded that.

“Those increased expenses made a huge dent in the budgets we’d forecasted for all the projects associated with the bond,” the June release said. “Unfortunately we don’t have enough money left to complete everything we’d originally planned.”

Payne said that rather than using remaining bond funds to tackle other projects within the district, the administration is looking to develop a new plan and put that before voters. In the meantime, it is likely that the remaining bond funds will go through defeasement to be placed in escrow until such time as the bonds come due which would in turn reduce taxes for district residents.

“We will follow the legal guidelines established to ensure the remaining 2019 bond dollars are set aside appropriately to partially defease and reduce the future tax levy amounts,” Payne said.

The district is planning to develop a new bond plan to be put forth for February of 2026 or 2027 that will address facility needs within the district. A workgroup consisting of district staff, appropriate experts and community members will be formed to develop a comprehensive vision and plan for that potential bond package, according to a statement from the district.

“As a product of Ephrata schools, I bleed orange and black and I know we will come together and rise to overcome this challenge. We have proven time and again that our community doesn’t see a challenge as something that will stop us, but as something to overcome and that helps us learn and grow,” wrote Assistant Superintendent Ken Murray in the Sept. 15 release.

The school district said in its statement that the goal is to keep the combined bond and levy taxes close to $4.80 per $1,000 of assessed property value.

“We are choosing to see hope and opportunity despite our disappointment,” said Payne. “Though it may take a bit longer than we expected, the District in partnership with the community will put together a plan that is in the best interest for our kids, schools and for the community of Ephrata.”