MONTOURSVILLE -- It’s more bad news for a school district in Lycoming County dealing with a controversial construction project.
Demolition was halted at Montoursville Area High School, as members of a new school board are trying to find a less expensive option, but now there's another development.
Caution tape was strung through the main lobby at Montoursville Area High School after a codes inspector found so many safety violations that the district decided to tape it off.
District officials say an architectural firm checked out the building Friday and found structural issues with the floor.
That firm was called in to analyze a report by an engineering group that said the school is in good structural condition.
“They were blocking off the front entrance to the right. There were ceiling problems, stuff falling down, stuff like that,” said junior Ryan Bonus.
But this is just the latest dose of bad news in an already growing fiasco on whether the high school needs to be torn down.
Plans were in place to demolish the high school and build a new three-story building in its place.
But then five new board members took over in December and immediately halted the $36 million renovation project, opting to look for less expensive options.
On Thursday, the Montoursville Area School District was given 180 days to make repairs to the walls, floors, and roof or else run the risk of being condemned.
“You know, that's why they were planning on doing the story in the first place because of all these issues and then it was stopped, so now they're in a worse place, trying to get it fixed before the kids can't go to school,” said Dawn Ritter.
Inside the high school's gym, people here for the girls’ basketball game said they're getting fed up with the pettiness of the all school board members.
“It's just like the politicians, one goes one way, one goes another way, nobody meets in the middle,” said Marilyn Burkholder.
Christine Albert graduated from Montoursville Area in 1981. She says the board needs to put aside politics and make the students the main priority.
“I hope that they just make the best decision that's going to benefit the youngsters that go to this high school. That's really my main concern is that everybody does what they need to do to ensure a better education for these children,” said Albert.
The new board is paying an engineering firm $60,000 to see if there are other options besides tearing down the high school.
We did reach out to board members but did not hear back.