West Montgomery Times

Senator Tracy Pennycuick announced today the allocation of over $3.6 million for school building upgrades in the Perkiomen Valley, Pottstown, and Souderton Area school districts. The funding is provided through the Commonwealth Financing Authority’s Public School Facilities Improvement Grant Program, aimed at supporting facility improvement projects in public schools and career and technical schools.

“These grants will help pay for significant upgrades at multiple schools, improving fire safety and replacing outdated HVAC systems,” stated Pennycuick. “I am extremely pleased to announce this funding, which will result in significant school facility improvements while easing the burden on school taxpayers.”

The Perkiomen Valley School District is set to receive $1.1 million for safety enhancements across several schools including Perkiomen Valley High School and Middle School West. The project focuses on updating fire alarm systems to enhance emergency preparedness with a total project cost of $2.4 million.

Pottstown School District has been awarded $500,000 to upgrade heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems at Pottstown Middle School and High School. This initiative is part of a larger project costing $4.5 million.

Souderton Area School District will benefit from a total of $2 million in grants for various projects. One grant of $1 million targets HVAC improvements at Souderton Area Senior High School among others, involving replacement of 19 HVAC units containing hazardous refrigerants with new equipment such as chillers and rooftop units; this project's total cost is estimated at $4.3 million.

Additionally, another grant worth $1 million will fund HVAC, plumbing, boilers, and energy-saving projects at West Broad Street Elementary School in Franconia Township. Planned work includes installing classroom ventilators for heating and cooling purposes along with hot water heaters and distribution piping.