The capital plan draft report on Moore Elementary School is expected to be reviewed in December by Northampton Area School District Board of Education.

A walk-through of Moore Elementary by school directors is planned for January 2024.

To be determined is the scope of renovation work for Moore Elementary. Design and build are estimated to take one year. Before work commences, the board of education must receive budget estimates and approve contracts.

A detailed 28-page draft study for the renovation of Moore Elementary was presented by Arif Fazil, president of D’Huy Engineering Inc., at the board of education meeting Nov. 13. The review was posted Nov. 14 on the NASD website, nasdschools.org.

Directors were told the partial renovation of Moore Elementary will cost a minimum of $17,980,500.

The Moore study looks at the school in a series of categories, with analysis of problems, recommended improvements and costs: mechanical system, including the central cooling plant, central heating plant, classrooms, gymnasium and cafeteria, administration and library; electrical system for lighting; communications system; safety and security systems; plumbing system for water service and piping, fixtures and fire protection; roof system; interior finishes; site items; site traffic flow challenges; building envelope items; and building exterior items.

The study includes an aerial depiction of the school site, with areas labeled, and the school’s main floor and lower floor plans, with original building and additions color-coded.

Moore Elementary, built in 1956, is on 17.75 acres along Route 946, Mountain View Drive, in Moore Township. The original building is 25,000 square feet, with additions and renovations in 1973 of 51,800 square feet and in 2001 of 20,800 square feet - for a total 97,600 square feet.

An on-site well provides water. The on-site sewage treatment plant discharges treated water into a creek. An on-site underground 10,000-gallon fuel storage tank serves school boilers, and an on-site 1,000- gallon propane tank serves pilot lights for boilers.

Buses and other vehicles share one entrance. The site has steep slopes at the back of the property.

Highlights of recommended mechanical renovations include replacing chillers and pumps in the central cooling plant, replacing central boiler and hot water pumps in the central heating plant, providing a new variable air volume ducted system for classrooms, replacing air-handling units in classrooms and the cafeteria and converting to a variable air volume system in the administration area and library.

The electrical system needs minimal power updates and replacement of interior and exterior lighting with LED fixtures. For the communication system, it is recommended they install a distributed antenna system to boost cellular coverage. A districtwide upgrade to a video surveillance system for safety and security is reportedly underway.

It is recommended they replace the well pump and internal treatment and storage systems and portions of the sanitary and storm piping. Additionally, the entirety of the domestic water piping needs replacing.

Fixtures and fire protection recommendations include removing abandoned fixtures, replacing original fixtures, removing obsolete water piping and installing a new sprinkler system.

For the roof system, it is recommended they provide a built-up 25-year warranty roofing system with new insulation to meet code requirements and replace roof drains and piping.

Interior recommendations include replacing floors with terrazzo and quartz, replacing the suspended ceilings and replacing interior door hardware.

Site items include replacing the gymnasium concrete stairs, replacing playground equipment and providing Americans With Disabilities Act-compliant equipment and replacing the access road at the back of the property.

Additional building recommendations include replacing skylights in classrooms, replacing windows and exterior doors and repointing bricks.

Each category has cost estimates for partial renovation and full renovation of Moore Elementary.

The Moore Elementary partial renovation construction subtotal estimate is $17,980,500. The full renovation construction subtotal estimate is $36,565,500.

The partial renovation construction project total estimate with four years of inflation factored in is $27,346,003. The full renovation construction project total estimate with four years of inflation factored in is $55,611,372.

The board of education reorganization meeting will be 6:15 p.m. Dec. 4, before the regular school board meeting, which is 6:30 p.m. Dec. 4. Both meetings are held in the auditorium at Northampton Area High School, 1619 Laubach Ave.