By Evan Brandt, ebrandt@pottsmerc.com

POTTSTOWN — Fifteen architects have submitted proposals to design new windows for Edgewood and Rupert elementary schools and the least expensive proposal is from the same architectural firm that has been working on school designs for the past two years.

School board member Thomas Hylton, who chairs the school board's Neighborhood Schools Committee, said the $20,000 proposal from Crabtree Rohrbaugh was the lowest in what he described as a "tremendous response" with estimates that ranged from Crabtree's low to a high of $80,700.

The lower price, Hylton said, is most likely due to the request-for-proposal process that the district authorized at its last meeting.

"It really does show that in America, competition really works," Hylton said. The fact that Crabtree is "familiar with the district" is another bonus, he said.

Hylton said Crabtree indicated in its proposal that "they can meet our schedule and get the work done before the fall if the school board agrees to move forward."

That agreement may come as soon as this evening.

The school board has scheduled a special voting meeting for tonight at 7 p.m. in the board room of the administration building at Beech and Penn streets — http://www.pottstownschools.com/pottstown/District%20Calendar/ — and school board President Rick Huss told the board he intends to hold a vote on the matter.

To date, votes on this matter have been split 5-4, with board members Polly Weand, Michele Pargeon, Julia Wilson and Robert Hartman Jr. voting against the move, mostly arguing the district does not have enough money for the project without having an overall plan for the five elementary schools.

If comments made Thursday night are any indication, the pending vote on selecting an architect is unlikely to change that pattern.

"We cannot afford anything at this time," said Wilson who, as a parent of a child in Rupert, said she would love to be able to improve that school. "We have no money. It would be fiscally irresponsible to spend money on anything that doesn't have to do with our children's education."

This elicited applause from the small audience at Thursday's meeting.

"I will not be voting for fancy windows at Rupert," said Pargeon. "It does not impact our children's education in a positive way."

Even Robert Decker, the representative of the Pottstown Teachers Federation weighed in; although, obliquely.

"We would be remiss," Decker said, "If we did not recognize and comment upon the actions being considered by the board pertaining to expenditures for costly and potentially unneeded maintenance items in our elementary schools."

Added Decker, "We urge you, as the governing body of the district, to remain focused on the children and their education in a fiscally responsible manner."

"We've just heard from the teachers' representative to please look to our student's education," Hartman said. "If that doesn't make you think a little bit, it should. We need to listen to that."

He predicted that spending money on improving buildings without a plan for dealing with the district's modulars could eventually lead to overcrowding.

"I don't think people will be too happy when we have 29 or 30 kids in a classroom because we spent money on something we really couldn't afford," Hartman said.

Echoing comments made by former school board president and current treasurer Judyth Zahora, Hartman said, "You never, ever pass something without knowing where the money is coming from. Before I'll vote for anything, I will need to have in my hands information that shows exactly where the money is coming from," said Hartman, a comment that also elicited applause.

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