The Panther Valley School Board is considering putting up a maintenance building to save money on supplies and protect equipment.

Business Manager Jesse Walck on Wednesday told the board that he got a price range from the architect who worked on the district’s feasibility study. The high end was $545,000 without a loading dock or any extras, he said.

Board members asked if grants were available and if the district could use cafeteria funds, if items for the cafeteria were stored in a new maintenance/storage building.

The district might be able to use some cafeteria funds for shelving or other items related to the storage, but not for construction of the building, Walck said.

Board member Michael Alabovitz said the district has a historic problem with storage, or the lack of storage. There is equipment sitting out behind buildings, and stuff stacked in hallways, he said.

“The lack of storage that we have available also hits us on the financial end, because I can’t order in bulk,” Walck said. “We’re having to order little bits at a time.

“If we could order things in bulk, we could probably save $600 or $700 on a pallet of paper, and we order a lot of paper,” he said. “It’s not just paper.”

Board member Ryan Eidle said the district could also have its equipment last longer, if it could be stored out of the elements.

Alabovitz asked the board if they wanted to explore putting up a maintenance building further, and board President Daniel Matika said they have to.

“It’s a good idea,” Walck said, because it will save the district on supplies and years on the equipment.

The board also discussed an issue with the condition of windows in the intermediate school, and Walck noted that the replacement of the windows, which are wood, were written into a facilities grant application.

Board members said if there is an issue they wanted it fixed sooner rather than waiting for a grant. Maintenance supervisor Scott Fisher explained that a piece of wood rotted on one window and fell out, and the district was able to make repairs.

It was the only window in that bad of condition, and all the windows on the western side of the building have more wear, Fisher said.

“Some of them are good,” he said.

Some have condition issues, and shouldn’t be opened because they’re very hard to close, Fisher said.

Walck told the board that they will need to talk about maintenance projects that need to be done, and that aren’t written into the facilities grant applications soon.

The board plans to discuss some of these issues at committee meetings following a special meeting on Aug. 7.

Also to be discussed is a solar farm proposal, as there are federal funds available for these projects, Walck said. The district could see 70% of the cost reimbursed, and would need to act soon, he said.

The district spends about $300,000 a year on electricity, and a solar farm could eliminate that cost.

With the reimbursements, the district could pay off a solar farm in a couple of years, he said following the meeting.