Board OKs $6.4M in Contracts for Valley School

The Bensalem on Wednesday approved three contracts totaling about $6.4 million for upgrading 's heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.

The district hopes the work can be completed by the beginning of the next school year, according to business director Jack Myers.

Myers previously said the project was expected to cost about $5 million. But Wednesday he said the successful bids came in only slightly higher than a June high-end estimate of $6.25 million.

The funding, he has explained, will come from the district's capital reserve fund and a 2007 bond Issue.

The board, without comment, approved a $1.8 million pact with TE Construction Services LLC; a $3.8 million mechanical contract with Edward J. Meloney Inc., of Lansdowne; and an $820,000 deal with Palman Electric Inc., of Huntingdon Valley.

District Facilities Manager Robert Moseley said Thursday that the winning bids were all from the “lowest responsible bidder ,“ and were chosen from the applications of four general contractors, two mechanical contractors and three electrical contractors . Moseley said TE is a company reorganized in 2008 that was formally known as TNT Construction Inc. He said the firm has done four major projects for the Pennsbury School District and several for the Philadelphia district, and representatives from both gave the company good reviews.

The project features a geothermal well field outside the school. Myers previously explained that would comprise a series of about 100 wells, each 400 feet deep, through which water would be circulated to heat and cool the building using the earth’s temperature retention characteristics.

Myers has said the planned well field would pay for itself in savings in seven to 10 years.

Similar well fields are already in place at the Cecelia Snyder Middle and Russell C. Struble Elementary schools.

Valley Elementary is about 35 years old.