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Chester County Press

Kennett School Board enlists Bernardon Architects for two major projects planned for 2020

09/10/2019 05:04PM ● By Steven Hoffman

The Kennett Consolidated School District is already looking ahead to two major facilities projects slated for the summer of 2020.

At its Sept. 9 meeting, the Kennett School Board unanimously approved the proposals for professional services from Bernardon Architects of West Chester for the two projects—the full restoration of the high school monumental stairs and the enhancement of the front canopy and facade at the Mary D. Lang Kindergarten Center.

Bernardon Architects' proposal for the Mary D. Lang facade and canopy project will include only the schematic design services and will be based on a time and materials billing structure, with an estimated cost of $11,500 to $14,500. The proposal for the high school stairs project is for “global services” including pre-design, construction documents, bidding and negotiation, and construction administration. The estimated cost of the architectural services for this project is $99,150 to $102,950.

According to Mark Tracy, the district’s business administrator, the work on the high school stairs will be complex, and as a result the costs for the architectural work is more than what might have been expected.

The school board also formally approved the appointment of Elizabeth Weaver as the new principal of New Garden Elementary School. This was one of more than fifty personnel items, including retirements, requests for leaves of absence, and new hires that the board approved. The school board did not meet in August, so this list included most of the late-summer personnel items.

Dr. Michael Barber, the district's assistant superintendent, noted that Tomorrow Jenkins resigned as an assistant principal of Kennett High School. Jenkins was hired as the principal of a school in the William Penn School District, and Barber extended his congratulations to her for that appointment.

In his report to the school board, Superintendent Dr. Barry Tomasetti outlined some academic goals for the upcoming year. He also announced that the school district, in partnership with the Chester County Intermediate Unit, received a five-year grant totaling $400,000 that can be utilized to provide extra tutoring support to students who need help in math, reading, and STEAM classes. The grant funding can be utilized to cover the costs of transportation and education for the students.

The school board approved several independent contractor agreements: Maria del Carmen Aja will provide parent liaison services for the upcoming school year; Stacey Zelesnick will provide dental hygienist services; Lucy Angomas will provide bilingual services; and No Boundaries—Language and Interpreting Services, LLC for translation services for both Spanish language translation as well as translation services for languages other than Spanish.

An agreement between the school district and NovaCare Rehabilitation was also approved for that company to provide athletic training services for the next school year. The school district may look into the possibility of hiring its own full-time athletic trainer while utilizing NovaCare Rehabilitation for part-time support at some point in the future to ensure the quality of care and attention for athletes.

The Kennett School Board will hold its next meeting at 7 p.m. On Monday, Oct. 14 at the Mary D. Lang Kindergarten Center.