Bethel Park moves to ensure school softball field is stable
Now that the problematic hillside at Bethel Park High School has been stabilized, district engineers will turn to the nearby softball field to ensure that area is on solid ground.
The school board hired Garvin Boward Beitko Engineering of Robinson Township to investigate the softball field and determine if that area is susceptible to the same problems as the hillside 70 feet away. The firm will be paid up to $20,447 to bore into the field and collect soil samples that will hopefully indicate what lies beneath the topsoil.
District officials hope the same unsuitable fill that made the hillside was not also used as a base for the softball field.
That hillside started slipping in 2015 and it has taken two years and about $650,000 to fix it. Workers finished stabilizing the hillside last month.
The district’s engineers said the problem started because the hill was comprised of fill that was susceptible of washing away during heavy rains. When workers started digging into the hillside, they found it was comprised of soft soil, tree stumps and construction debris apparently left over from the construction of the high school about five years ago.
Contractors spent nearly a year removing that fill, installing drainage and replacing the unsuitable fill with stone and other more stable materials.
The softball field seems fine. District officials noted that kids have been using that field for the past five years with no issues. However, board members said a thorough test of the field is prudent, to ensure that it won’t become a problem later.
“There also might be a legal issue here,” Superintendent Joseph Pasquerilla said.
District officials are considering filing a lawsuit against the contractor who built the high school to possibly recoup some of the money spent on the hillside repair.
It’s possible that the boring tests will yield inconclusive results and if that happens, the engineers may use ultrasound or other methods to find out what lies beneath the field.
The board also agreed to pay Garvin Boward Beitko $4,855 for work performed to obtain the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit needed for the hillside repair.
In other business, the board agreed to cut Easter break short to make up for Nov. 8, when classes were canceled due to a boil-water advisory in the South Hills. Director Pam Dobos dissented and voiced a preference for tacking the make up day to the end of the year since the last day of school is a bit early this year anyway.
The district already eliminated days off for Presidents’ Day, Feb. 19 and Holy Thursday, March 29 to make up for cancelations due to threats that circulated on social media last month. Now, students will also attend classes on Easter Monday, April 2.
The board accepted a $68,000 donation from Washington Elementary Parent Teacher Organization to purchase playground equipment for the school. Board members praised the PTO for raising such a substantial amount of money.
Board members also bid farewell to fellow Director Russ Spicuzza, who lost his seat in the Nov. 7 general election to Ken Nagel, who is expected to take his seat at the Dec. 5 reorganization meeting.
Director Cynthia Buckley said Spicuzza was filled with integrity and respect.
“He had an agenda. His agenda was every child in Bethel Park,” she said.
Board President Donna Cook presented Spicuzza with a plaque to commemorate his nine years on the board.
The board also recognized four maintenance workers who helped with the renovation project at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School. The men saved the district money by avoiding hiring outside contractors to install new lighting and carpeting in the school last summer.
The board also hired two long-term substitute teachers, Jenna Mansfield, special education at Independence Middle School; and Jessica Nachreiner, sixth grade at Neil Armstrong Middle School. The board appointed Jennifer Blodgett as curriculum facilitator.