ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Allentown School Board on Thursday approved an agreement of sale for property at 1940 W. Fairview St. to use as the site of a proposed new school.
The district plans to buy the property from St. Elmo Development LLC for $1.9 million, according to agenda documents.
District Superintendent Carol Birks said the new school will serve students in kindergarten through eighth grades.
The school to be built on the new site will serve as a replacement for Raub Middle School, which is 100 years old. It also potentially could serve as a replacement for nearby Union Terrace Elementary School, but that hasn’t been decided.Allentown School District Superintendent Carol Birks
It will serve as a replacement for Raub Middle School, which is 100 years old, she said.
It also potentially could serve as a replacement for nearby Union Terrace Elementary School, Birks said, but that hasn’t been decided.
The superintendent said the new school also could be theme-based, but that will be left up to the community to decide.
“Securing this site positions the District to relieve overcrowding, replace or supplement functionally obsolete buildings, and create learning environments that reflect current academic, technological, and safety standards,” the agenda memo states.
The memo also said the cost of the property will be reduced if environmental remediation is required.
The district also plans a K-8 school on the city’s East Side at the former Allentown State Hospital property. That school is slated to open by the 2027-28 school year.
The project is estimated to cost up to $136 million.
