The Panther Valley School District on Thursday opened requests for proposals from seven architectural design firms to assess buildings and help plan for the future.

The district wants a study that will look at the condition of the buildings and stadium and cost estimates for capital improvements, reconstruction, new construction and upgrading present facilities.

The study will also recommend reconstruction and repairs and assign priorities based on need and available economic resources.

The study will also look at capacity planning for the buildings - two of which are 50 or more years old - as well as the grade level groupings, reconfiguration and planning, according to the RFP put out by the district.

Business manager Jesse Walck said they’re really looking at a blueprint for the district’s future that will allow administrators and school board members to make solid decisions moving forward.

District leaders will be able to look at the study, see where the needs are, and choose options to meet those needs, he said.

Seven architectural and engineering firms submitted proposals ranging in cost from $2,500 to $58,750, but the cost of the study isn’t as important as choosing the right firm to do the study, Walck said.

“I’m much more worried about the quality of the study,” he said. “I want to make sure that we’re getting what we need.”

The district will be looking at the overall experience of the firms and other projects they worked on, including estimated and actual costs; and design work for K-12 public schools using different funding options.

“We asked for a lot of stuff, and that was on purpose,” Walck said. “We don’t want somebody that’s done one project. We want somebody that has a large experience base in schools.”

Firms submitting proposals included the Hunt Group of Horseheads, New York, at a cost of $58,750; Alloy 5 Architects of Bethlehem, $8,800; McKissick Associates of Harrisburg, $9,524; RLPS Architects, Lancaster, $34,500; Crabtree Rohrbaugh & Associates, Mechanicsburg, not to exceed $13,500; KCBA Architects of Hatfield, $8,780; and EI Associates of Harrisburg, $2,500.

All of the proposals will be reviewed in the coming days, and finalists will be interviewed by a team comprised of administrators and two board members next week for recommendation to the full board.

The top finalist will then make a presentation to the board, likely at the Aug. 16 meeting. The board could select a firm to complete the study the same night, Walck said.

The firms assured the district that they would be able to complete the study within six months, Walck said. The board could be looking at completed study by February or March of next year, he said.

The board has said it is not embarking on a building project or a new school by commissioning a study, but wants to prepare for the future, especially as enrollment climbs.

Panther Valley has seen an enrollment increase of 25% over the past three years, placing the district in the top five schools in the state in percent increase growth, Walck said.