An S.S. Palmer library renovation a decade in the making may soon become a reality.

In 2016, former Palmerton teacher Elizabeth Bray passed away at the age of 99, leaving just shy of $110,000 to be used for the S.S. Palmer library. A renovation plan developed by administration, the building principal and librarian carries a furniture cost of $48,000, featuring new chairs, desks and the removal of a temporary wall.

The additional $23,000 for carpet and paint had been designated to come from district funds, a decision that did not sit well with at least one board member the moment it was mentioned.

“Why are we using district funds when we have a lady that donated $110,000 and we’re at $48,000?” director Earl Paules asked.

Assistant Superintendent Ryan Kish said the recommendation to use $23,000 out of district funds for carpet and paint came from Dr. Angela Friebolin, Palmerton’s superintendent who is currently out on paid leave.

Kish said the likely reason was that paint and flooring are repairs the district typically covers in any room renovation, regardless of the circumstances. District staff, he added, would not be available to handle the work this summer, necessitating contracted labor.

“(Bray) donated that money just for the library,” Paules said. “That means wall to wall, floor to ceiling. The carpet and paint money should come out of the donation. You would come in and look at the walls — she paid for it. You look at the rug — she paid for it. I think it should all be done by the donation money.”

While no formal vote was taken Tuesday, the board reached general consensus that the paint and carpet costs should come from the Bray donation rather than district funds.

Furniture quotes obtained for the project, Kish said, are valid through the end of May. The renovation, should it gain formal board approval, is targeted for this summer.

Tuesday’s discussion also touched on a structural issue that predates Bray’s bequest entirely. A temporary wall inside the library was constructed on top of an existing bookshelf, a detail discovered when the renovation was being scoped out.

“It goes from the ceiling to the top of the bookshelf,” sixth-grade teacher William Acierno told the board. “When we looked at it, we kind of thought it was a wall, and then we looked up and it was literally built on top of the bookshelf.”

Director MaryJo King linked the wall situation to a pattern the district has struggled to move past.

“I’ve said this for years — it seems like that was just a Band-Aid for something at some point,” King said. “I really like to get away from doing Band-Aids on things within this district and make it so that it’s done the right way and that it’s going to last.”

Parkside renovation

The debate over the $23,000 was entangled with a broader question about how the full $110,000 should ultimately be divided. Bray’s will was written in 2005, before the Parkside Education Center, which houses kindergarten and first grade students, existed. The estate’s trustees subsequently decided a portion of the funds should benefit Parkside as well, given that Bray taught kindergarten.

Kish said Tuesday specific plans for the Parkside library portion remain undecided.

“I don’t think it’s been formally decided, but it’s been talked about,” Kish said. “There’s been ideas, but we’re not at that point. Right now, we’re only prepared to present SS Palmer, and we would like to get that done this summer.”