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.