Palmerton Area School District hopes to take the next step with what its board of directors has deemed the top four building projects on its wish list.

Barry Scherer, chair of Palmerton’s building committee, said during a workshop Tuesday night that it has moved forward a recommendation to the full board to have its newly hired engineering firm, Keystone Consulting Engineers, draw up bid specifications for a new aboveground oil tank at Towamensing Elementary and a window replacement project at the high school. The committee also recommended KCE look at designs for a new entrance, aimed at enhancing security, for S.S. Palmer Elementary and a flooring, painting, bathroom and locker improvement project, also at Palmer.

“These are the four projects that have been prioritized and recommended by our director of facilities and agreed to by the facilities committee,” Scherer said. “With a new engineer of record coming on, I don’t think we want to put too much on their plate all at once.”

Palmerton Business Administrator Ryan Kish said after paying out current contract punchlist items, the district’s capital reserve fund should stand at just under $4 million.

The current oil tank at Towamensing is over 30 years old and is located underground without easy leak detection capabilities.

Palmerton plans to have a 10,000-gallon aboveground double-walled tank installed with leak detection included.

“There are still a lot of unknowns with the current tank,” Dr. Al Lonoconus, acting superintendent said. “We’ll have it drained and have the soil tested around it. If any remediation needs to be done, that will obviously drive the price up. If it’s fine, the old one will be filled with sand and left in place.”

Joe Faenza, facilities director, said there is no reason to believe the current tank is leaking and the replacement is recommended purely based on its age.

“It’s at the end of its life span,” Faenza said. “With that being well water at Towamensing, if there would be a leak for any reason, it would be a big issue. This new tank will allow us to monitor things a lot better with it being aboveground.”

Following a meeting at the site, Palmerton director Earl Paules said the work is estimated to cost $130,000 less than a projection given by Palmerton’s previous engineering firm.

“We’re going to save a lot of money over that prior estimate of $250,000, especially if the current tank can just be filled with sand and left there,” Paules said. “We had a great meeting to look over the options and I think everyone is really looking out for the district.”

Windows have already been replaced at the junior high school, so the upcoming project would strictly be at the high school. The high school windows are original to the building from 1965.

“We’ve been talking about the windows for years and years,” Scherer said.

Lonoconus said the earlier the window project gets out to bid, the greater chance for a better price.

“These companies are hungry right now and they want to get their projects lined up for next summer,” he said. “They want to make sure their employees are taken care of.”

Palmerton reviewed drawings from KCBA Architects in March for a new Palmer entrance. The drawings called for moving the administrative offices and nurse’s suite to the ground floor of the building, just off to the left inside the main entrance. With the move, visitors would be buzzed in to the main entrance, off Third Street, and be let in to a secured area. KCBA is also recommending adding a ramp for Americans with Disabilities Act compliance leading up to the main entrance.

The ramp would start just to the right of the steps and head toward the corner of Third Street and Lafayette Avenue before turning and coming back to meet the main landing area at the top of the steps.

At the time, the estimated cost, which factored in the ADA ramp, relocated main office and nurse’s suite, added classroom, added STEM room, relocated art room and new furniture, was $1.55 million.

“We can give KCE that design and let them give us their recommendations,” Scherer said. “As far as I know there is nothing proprietary about those drawings and KCE said they work with different architects.”

Paules said he hopes the district can do the project in phases as to not spend all the money at once.

Though the four projects cited have been moved to top of the list, board members said they realize there is work left to be considered.

High school teacher Tammy Muniz said lockers and bathrooms in the building, some of which haven’t been touched since 1965, are in dire need of repair.

“The faculty upstairs uses the student bathrooms and there are things falling out of the ceiling, the lockers are coming out of the wall,” Muniz said. “There is old green tile with sea horses on it. There are a lot of updates that need to be done.”

Scherer said the district would break out a former 10-year plan, and give it to administrators to update and revise with current building needs.