InFocus
Middle School / High School Building Project
Has a decision been made regarding the future of the Elizabethtown Area High School and Middle School complex?
No. During the regularly scheduled board meeting on September 10, 2024, representatives from Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates, the District’s architectural firm, presented their findings from a nearly year-long feasibility study. The study evaluated all five school buildings, focusing on their age, condition, and future maintenance needs. The study concluded that the current secondary school complex, serving students in grades 6-12, requires immediate and substantial upgrades or replacement due to its condition.
The presentation marked the beginning of a series of public discussions. Over the next several months, the school board will thoroughly assess the academic and campus impacts, financial implications, and debt management strategies for all of its options. Additionally, the board will consider long-term improvement plans for all district buildings to determine the best path forward.
At the onset of the feasibility study, the Board instructed Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates to explore all options, including the possibility of utilizing the Elizabethtown Fairgrounds. As a result, the firm presented several options for the middle and high school complex: a comprehensive renovation of the existing facility or the construction of a new complex on the Fairgrounds.
Why was building a new school on the Fairgrounds considered a viable option? Although the projected costs of both options are comparable, Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates identified constructing a new facility on the Fairgrounds offered several key advantages, including:
- Instructional spaces designed to align with our Life Ready Model and Culture of Belonging initiatives
- Shorter construction timeline
- There is no challenge of working around a student-occupied building
- Improved traffic flow on and around the campus
- Enhanced safety and security features
- Long-term cost savings through modern, efficient design
- Utilization of land already owned by the district, avoiding the cost of purchasing additional property and keeping the new school within the existing campus area
In contrast, renovating the existing building presents several significant challenges:
- Complexity of major renovations while students occupy the building
- There would be a need for temporary, costly modular classrooms during construction, which are then discarded at project completion, resulting in all associated costs being lost
- Limited room on campus to locate the modular classrooms to keep them close to the main building for access to other classrooms, the food court, and our support services division
- Limited capacity to significantly improve instructional spaces within the current structure
- Prolonged construction period, potentially disrupting students and their academic program for up to five years
- Uncertain costs related to mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems could lead to substantial increases through change orders
- Ongoing traffic inefficiencies on and around the campus
To ensure transparency, District administrators met with fair leadership over the summer to discuss the possibility of building a new facility on the fairgrounds. As part of our ongoing commitment to collaboration, District administration and fair board leadership will continue to meet regularly, maintaining open lines of communication to ensure the fair can effectively plan for upcoming years. This ongoing dialogue has been a long-standing practice between both parties.
In conclusion, the Board has yet to decide on the future of the secondary school complex. The Board will carefully weigh its options before determining the best course of action. Once the Board provides direction to District administration later this school year, the District will begin developing detailed plans to move forward. This will set in motion the process of creating a school complex that aligns with the academic needs of both our students and the community. A final decision is expected by May 2025.