By Evan Brandt, ebrandt@pottsmerc.com

POTTSTOWN — Quite literally putting his money where his mouth is, school board member Thomas Hylton pledged Monday to put up as much as $20,000 of his own money to pay for an architectural firm to design new, energy-efficient windows for Edgewood and Rupert elementary schools.

The pledge came during a special voting meeting held Monday night during which the school board voted 5-3 to hire the Crabtree Rohrbaugh architecture firm to conduct the design work.

School board member Michele Pargeon, who has steadfastly opposed the measure, was ill and did not attend the meeting, although she did send a statement through board member Polly Weand.

Hylton’s offer, which was made in a letter to board members, seemed to take several people by surprise.

In essence, his offer would prevent any cost accruing to taxpayers unless the board votes to go forward with installing the new windows once bids are received.

If the board votes against installing any windows, the money, which will be put into an escrow account, will pay the architecture firm. If the board votes to install windows at both schools, Hylton will be paid back from the financing that pays for the overall project.

If, however, the board votes to proceed with only half the proposal and install windows in only one school, he would get half his money back.

“This way, we can wait and see how much the bids are without obligating the school board to spend any taxpayer dollars,” Hylton said.

“I ran on a pledge to preserve our neighborhood school system, to promote fiscal responsibility and to promote open government,” Hylton said.

“We had a bid process in which no one was favored and it just so happens that the low bidder was the firm that provided the previous plans to the district, and that’s fine and good. I am trying to save the taxpayers money and give the school board the maximum opportunity to consider this so we can proceed before energy costs sky-rocket.”

But while nearly everyone expressed thanks to Hylton for his offer, it did little to sway the votes of those board members who have questioned the proposal since he made it.

“I commend Mr. Hylton on his graciousness, but I am still very concerned about the whole project in general,” said Weand.

“Who is going to pay for the windows? We have to look beyond this decision,” she said.

Hylton has previously identified a federal government low-interest loan program geared toward energy efficiency projects at schools in low-income areas as a potential funding source. However, Weand and board member Robert Hartman Jr. — both of whom spoke at length — have repeatedly made the point that low-interest or not, it is still debt that must be repaid by taxpayers.

If paying back that financing costs “$500,000 or $600,000 a year, what are we going to cut?” asked Hartman. “The savings will not offset what we’ll be putting out.”

Weand said although the Honeywell energy study completed in July did mention the need to replace the single-pane windows at Edgewood, it made no mention of Rupert, which she said already has double-pane windows.

Just because something is not mentioned in a study, Hylton replied, “doesn’t mean it doesn’t need to be done.”

Weand said the Rupert part of the project involves historically accurate windows which comes, she said, “with much higher cost.”

Hylton got up out of his chair and using a window in the meeting room of the administration building as an example, said the historical part or replacement windows is adding a grid made of plastic or wood to make it look like it has many panes, “which is not an expensive procedure at all.”

“I will not use taxpayer money to install historic-looking windows that do not help the education of our children,” Weand said. “I have no problem replacing windows that are in need of being more energy efficient.”

Hartman agreed. “I don’t have an issue with doing something when its time to do something that’s necessary,” he said. “But you have to have an overall plan. I’m the chairman of the facilities committee and I still haven’t heard a plan.”

Pargeon’s comments, as read by Weand, sounded the same note. “I couldn’t have in good conscience, without a comprehensive plan for the elementary schools and education of our children, voted for anything tonight,” Weand read on Pargeon’s behalf.

“We have wasted so much time talking about windows, when we have little children in need of help with reading and math,” said board member Julia Wilson.

Board member Valerie Harris agreed that much of the discussion was “repeated rhetoric,” adding “everyone knows where we stand on this issue.”

She said few seemed to argue the necessity of replacing the windows at Edgewood, and Hylton’s offer to pay the architect fees would allow the school board to get the information they need about Rupert to make an informed decision at no cost to the taxpayers.

“I would like to move forward on some area tonight,” she said.

But before that could happen, those in the audience had to be allowed to speak.

“I understand you would like things to move forward,” said Board Treasurer Judyth Zahora. “But I insist we know where the money is coming from.”

Predicting the district will begin its budget process $1 million in the red, she said “which building won’t you be able to keep open with a $1 million shortfall? How are you going to get our kids out of the modulars?”

Former board member Phil Thees said “the windows at Rupert are only being replaced for their historical look, not for energy efficiency as far as I know to date,” adding that those who have opposed this proposal “are not bickering or being uncharitable. We are trying to save our houses and our neighbors’ houses.”

Newstell Marable, the president of the Pottstown Chapter of the NAACP, told the board “the taxpayers don’t have any money. People are being laid off each and every day. If we were concerned about our children, we wouldn’t even be talking about windows.”

South Street resident Stephanie Carmody called the procedure the board had followed to reach this state “a complete failure.”

“How do you, collectively, want the schools to function?” she asked the board. “Without determining the educational needs, the building serves no purpose.”

The board, Carmody said, had not explored alternatives like “high performance window glazing” and said thus, “the plan lacks the necessary components to succeed.”

Carmody also acknowledged Hylton’s offer, but added “I question his motives. I think it is an attempt at grandstanding. I do not think the district should be indebted to any individual.”

The final vote saw Hylton, Harris, School Board President Rick Huss, Vice President Dennis Wausnock and board member Nat White vote in favor of hiring Crabtree Rohrbaugh, with Weand, Hartman and Wilson voting against.

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