The future of the Pathfinder special education school remains in doubt, but the Bethel Park building is ready for a new roof. The South Central Area Special Schools Operating Committee, which oversees the maintenance of the building, has approved replacing part of the school's roof and the financing to pay for it. Because of how the $313,000 project is being financed, none of the seven member districts will have to put any money toward it, said Richard Rose, president of the operating committee and of the Bethel Park School Board. The 40-year agreement that created Pathfinder will expire in September 2004. The seven member districts - Bethel Park, Carlynton, Chartiers Valley, Keystone Oaks, Mt. Lebanon, South Fayette and Upper St. Clair - have been asked to decide before the end of this school year if they will remain in the partnership. None of the districts has yet made an official decision, Rose said. Districts that leave the partnership will have to be bought out of their interest in the building. Rose said the roof over the school's swimming pool, gymnasium and back row of classrooms must be replaced now because of leaks. With the insulation already water soaked, there is concern the roof might not be able to support the additional weight of ice that will accumulate in the winter. "We're chasing leaks every time it rains," he said. "If it rains tonight, they'll be mopping floors tomorrow morning." The pool had been closed for a week in September out of concern about the stability of the roof. Work on the roof will begin this week, Rose said. Bids will be received later this month to repair the school's air conditioning, which is expected to cost between $80,000 and $90,000. That work will not be done until the spring. Rose said Pathfinder will pay half the cost of the roof and air conditioning work out of its cash on hand and finance the rest on a seven-year note. Payments will be low in 2002 and 2003 and come from the school's operating fund. A balloon payment due in 2004 will be worked into the transfer of the building's ownership, Rose said.

---

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)

---