EMMAUS, Pa. — East Penn School District on Monday took a look at a redistricting plan aimed at solving future capacity issues and creating equitable learning opportunities for students.
But it could come at a cost of $142 million or more.
District officials in October set aside a previous plan for realignment that would have redesigned the district’s middle schools as fifth and sixth grade and seventh and eighth grade buildings, with the elementary schools transitioned to kindergarten to fourth grade buildings.
Officials and consultants now provided a proposal for redistricting.
“We're going to be taking a look at proposed boundary changes for elementary and middle schools, as well as the facility renovations and additions at several buildings to address capacity needs and programmatic needs."East Penn School District Superintendent Kristen Campbell
Superintendent Kristen Campbell started the presentation with a broad overview — and a reminder the district still is in the preliminary phase of the project, with realignment still on the table.
“We're going to be taking a look at proposed boundary changes for elementary and middle schools, as well as the facility renovations and additions at several buildings to address capacity needs and programmatic needs,” Campbell said.
“I want to emphasize that tonight is informational only. The board is not taking any action.
“I also want to emphasize that when we start talking about proposals to change school boundaries, that information can be very impactful.
"So I think the word ‘proposed changes’ is very important. At this point, we are looking at an option, and we're making considerations.”
Campbell said the presentation also would touch on building concepts and potential changes proposed for Alburtis and Lincoln elementary schools, and Eyer and Lower Macungie middle schools.
Redistricting impacts on students
According to Campbell, a 2022 facility study found district schools were in good condition because of proactive maintenance.
But it also found a need for ongoing capital improvement plans and needs, overcrowding as an issue with the assumption of future growth, and a need for more flexible spaces.
The focus became examining capacity options at the elementary schools, with the knowledge that the options also would affect the two middle schools in programming and educational equity.
"The redistricting option is a waterfall approach, because we move some students to another school. We would need to move students as a result of one move to another move and we continue to move to ... get to an appropriate capacity number in each building."Parkland Assistant Superintendent Douglas Povilaitis
Modernization and expansion options for the buildings were also examined.
“The redistricting keeps our seven elementary schools as K-5 buildings, and the redistricting plan also keeps our two middle schools as 6-7-8, buildings," Campbell said.
"And the proposed academic programs would remain relatively consistent to what we currently offer."
Assistant Superintendent Douglas Povilaitis detailed the boundary proposals and redistricting model.
"The redistricting option is a waterfall approach, because we move some students to another school," Povilaitis said.
"We would need to move students as a result of one move to another move and we continue to move to ... get to an appropriate capacity number in each building."
In total, 347 students would be moved around the district’s seven elementary schools.
Students in the 5037 Wild Cherry Lane development would shift from Willow Lane to Macungie; Spring Creek Estates 2022 students would move from Wescosville to Shoemaker; and Woodmont Valley Apartments students would go from Alburtis to Shoemaker.
Redistricting also would make for contiguous boundaries for the middle schools, more appropriate capacity and a balance in regard to free and reduced lunch status, Povilaitis said.
As for the middle schools, students from Spring Creek Estates 2022, Woodmont Valley Apartments, Hills of Lockridge’s phase two section, and Mertztown would move to Lower Macungie Middle School; and students at 5037 Wild Cherry Lane and East Texas Village would go from Lower Macungie Middle School to Eyer.
Proposed additions, renovations
Breslin Architects’ Principal Stephen J. Behrens, along with architect Brian Huber, offered insight into the building additions and renovations.
Behrens said current projections show an increase of 84 K-5 students in 2029, and a maximum increase of 140 K-5 students in 2032.
Aiming for a target capacity of 85%, Alburtis’s capacity for students would increase 127, making room for a total of 510.
Changes in room use also would cut down rooms of non-traditional use from 55 to 33.
Huber handled the details of the elementary school additions and renovations, floor by floor.
“So here at Alburtis, we have two areas," he said. "One is the main classroom addition that's going off, extending off the end of the building there. This will be a three-story classroom addition.
“And then also you can see that little orange box, that's a proposed extension of the existing cafeteria to accommodate the additional capacity being added Alburtis.”
Other changes include an enlarged playground, several new kindergarten rooms, additional learning support spaces and more.
Balance middle school programming
Lincoln Elementary School would see a new addition, a one-story classroom wing coming off the end of the building adjacent to Harrison Street, and expanded parking.
Inside, there will be new classrooms in the expansion, additional learning support spaces, ADA improvements and additional, less-intensive renovations.
Eyer will be subject to only interior renovations, Huber said.
“The renovations in this building focus on the original, 1970s portion of the building, where there's more substantial infrastructure and capital improvements that are necessary,” Huber said.
That includes upgrades to technology areas, fitness, wellness and health areas, the music area, and more. It also would include closing off classrooms which were once open-concept.
Lower Macungie would see a two-story classroom expansion which would also serve as a new main entrance, as well as an addition to the cafeteria and the music area.
Renovations throughout the building would try to balance programming between the middle schools, Huber said.
“So the renovation here focuses on providing an updated tech ed area, provide a third family consumer sciences room, provide a new art room, provide updates to the library, as well as provide additional specialized programming, like life skills again, to improve the parity, programmatic parity between the two middle schools,” Huber said.
Cost concerns
Behrens said the Alburtis and Lincoln projects could start as early as May, with an anticipated completion in 2029.
Eyer and Lower Macungie Middle School could begin by 2028 and reach completion by 2032, Behrens said.
CHA Consulting’s Jamie Lynch reviewed the project costs, stating the total would come to $141,886,200.
“And then based on what we know and predict with a crystal ball that is not always clear, we've also escalated those costs over the life of the program," Lynch said.
"And simply in escalation costs alone, there's about $15 million in cost. So it is a significant effort to really corral these costs."
Several board members and administrators expressed concern over the potential for tariffs to affect the construction costs, the procedure for determining which buildings to work on and the potential to look at the realignment plan if it could be more practical for expenses.
“We were estimating… something on the order of $140 million price tag, as we know, that is significantly more than what we predicted for the realignment plan," School Board Director Joshua A. Levinson said.
"And I'd be hard pressed to think that in just a year, we're going to bridge a $45 million gap and then put these on parity.”
Levinson later said he felt the redistricting plan was good for addressing the issues outlined, but the cost was prohibitive.
“I might be getting a little ahead of myself, but we are going to look at realignment again, and probably, you know, get an idea of what those costs are,” he said.
