EASTON, Pa. — Easton Area School District’s board of education has given the go-ahead for the superintendent and administration to begin developing options to either build a new high school or refurbish the existing one.
Superintendent Tracy Piazza notified the public ahead of the comment section of the meeting that the agenda item in question was “not a commitment from the board or the community to spend the money,” but rather a “commitment from the board to have us do the legwork around that vote.”
Some ideas for that “legwork” denoted in the agenda included beginning a design process, pursuing additional funding, developing a funding plan, beginning a site survey and/or beginning a site identification on the designated property, beginning end-user meetings, continuing design meetings, beginning community outreach, and engaging with Alloy5, D’Huy Engineering, Inc., Palmer Township, and other district partners.
“We’re trying to make sure that we're providing our students with the most appropriate education that we can in this day and age, and also pushing thresholds of creativity, giving kids options, pathways and collaborative spaces."EASD Superintendent Tracy Piazza
“So I want you to understand that clearly: the vote tonight is not around raising taxes, it’s not around the funding and is strictly a vote to allow us to begin that work into that investigation of the process,” Piazza said just before public comment.
“As that work is completed, we'll be sharing that out with the community and the board. And at any point along that way, the board has the right, of course, to authorize that or change their mind or ask us to look at other options.”
Three individuals took to the podium during public comment to address the idea of a new or revamped high school, noting concerns primarily centered around the expense of the project, with two suggesting the existing site should be improved.
On the other hand, Gene Hoffman, a Palmer resident and retired HVAC engineer with three grandchildren in the EASD, questioned the efficacy of renovating the old building, noting that adding anything to the building could be difficult.
“So in a new building, the building and systems can have synergy, they can be designed together and you can put more modern systems and information technology in the building,” Hoffman said.
Before the vote on the matter, board member Brian Snyder responded to comments concerning the location of the site, and explaining the district’s options were limited.
“I don't really see any other option other than to just pursue at the current site, there doesn't seem to be any land left in Easton, Forks or Palmer, or whatnot, a 25-to-35-acre tract that we would need for some property, to say nothing of the traffic… or anything you'd have to do with the roads to build up somewhere new. I don't like the location either. But I really don't see any other alternatives,” Snyder said.
The board passed the motion with President Meg Sayago noting her interest in staying engaged with the community throughout the process of the project, saying, “I look forward to getting that input from all of those who will be using this building, which does of course extend well into the community because it is such an important community resource.”
After the meeting, Piazza further explained the plan going forward would involve plenty of research, including the aforementioned elements as well as looking into the current financial state of the district, and what the future of public education could entail.
That last factor is one of the primary motivators behind the project, Piazza noted.
“We’re trying to make sure that we're providing our students with the most appropriate education that we can in this day and age, and also pushing thresholds of creativity, giving kids options, pathways, and collaborative spaces,” Piazza said.
“And so we’re really thinking about what the state of education should look like and may look like as we move into the future, and having a building that is worthy of being our flagship school and the district.”
In April 2023, Alloy5 offered the board a presentation detailing four options to accommodate the expanding district: renovations and additions, hybrid and adaptive reuse, new construction on the upper lot of 2601 William Penn Highway, or new construction on the lower lot of the same property.
While renovations and additions are the cheapest option at a range of $204 million to $213 million in estimates, the project would take up to five years. On the other end of the spectrum, new construction on the lower lot comes in at $230 million to $240 million, with a three-year, two-phase time frame.
“There are many, many decisions that still need to be made. And each one will receive extensive consideration and will undergo extensive debate amongst board members before deciding on financing, the design, and the companies that are going to actually do the work,” Sayago said, adding “This is really just to focus the conversation to move in a specific direction.”
