William Penn School District awarded $2.5M in state funding for building improvements

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Bell Avenue Elementary and Penn Wood Middle schools will receive nearly $2.5 million in state grants for much-needed improvement projects, Pennsylvania Speaker of the House Joanna McClinton and state Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams announced Wednesday.

Bell Avenue Elementary’s 86-year-old building doesn’t offer accessibility for students or staff who face mobility challenges. The Yeadon school will receive $494,625 to contribute to the district’s plan to install an elevator to improve ADA compliance that will help students and staff reduce physical stress and injury if they face mobility challenges. It will also allow full access to all building spaces.

The second project, at Penn Wood Middle School in Darby, will include a major overhaul of the school’s 61,000-square-foot roof, which is leaking and deteriorating in some areas.

The $2 million roof repair will eliminate water damage seen in classrooms at the 59-year-old building while improving air quality by reducing the risk of airborne pathogens.

“Our school buildings are aging and need critical maintenance and updates to keep them operational, accessible, and safe for the whole school community — kids, teachers and visitors,” McClinton said in a news release.

Both grants were awarded under the Public School Facility Improvement Grant Program, which was created to provide grants to public school districts and area career and technical schools that are eligible for important facility improvement projects.
The funds are administered by the PA Department of Community and Economic Development under the direction of the Commonwealth Financing Authority.

“Receiving this funding creates a tremendous opportunity for the schools in District 8,” said Williams in the release. “The funding will enhance our educational facilities, create safer and more effective learning environments, and provide educators with the necessary resources to inspire the next generation.”

William Penn School District reported that the total cost of the Bell Avenue Elementary project is more than $650,000, and the district will contribute nearly $165,000 in matching funds. The state funding will be used to purchase and install the elevator and associated renovation costs. The project cost for Penn Wood is more than $4.4 million, and the district will provide more than $1.1 million in matching funds, according to the release.