# 11/10/26 Board Orientation - Middle School Project Update

At the Abington School District’s November 10, 2026, Board Orientation on the middle school project, project representatives presented construction documents, design updates, the budget estimate, and the planned bidding schedule. The project estimate was reported at approximately $284.5 million; additional geotechnical testing contributed to the increase from the prior design estimate. The value-engineering process generated 132 ideas, with 97 advanced for review; approximately $11.6 million in selected items was incorporated into the documents, while additional options—including floor finishes and reducing one or both of the two planned turf fields—will be priced as bid alternates for the district to consider. No board vote or contract award was reported. The team said bid advertisement was planned for November 16, subject to approval, with bid documents available November 19 and public bid opening scheduled for January 11, 2027. Bids will be sought across general construction, mechanical, plumbing, and electrical packages; bidders must meet board-policy prequalification requirements, and apparent low bids will be reviewed for required bonds and insurance before any award recommendation.

The presenters also described a potential solar installation, separate from the base bid: the building is being designed to be solar-ready, while panels are estimated to cost about $2.2 million. A rolling grant could provide up to $600,000 or 50% of the project cost, whichever is less. The proposed system is estimated to offset roughly one-third of electricity use—about $100,000 annually based on current rates—with an estimated payback of 22 years without the grant or 16 years with it. The district has not made a decision to install the panels. The team reported that the project remained on track for bids and for district occupancy in summer 2029, subject to required township and other approvals.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Construction & Infrastructure, Energy & Utilities
**Topics:** Physical Infrastructure, Grants & Funding
**Published:** November 10, 2026

### Sources
- [11/10/26 Board Orientation - Middle School Project Update](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENrKxlsaPPc) - Abington School District