- Parkland School District Superintendent Mark Madson recommended the district build additions to the high school to address its growing student population
- The high school is projected to exceed capacity by 2025
- None of the Parkland School Board directors expressed concerns about moving forward with additions
SOUTH WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — Parkland High School may soon get bigger.
Superintendent Mark Madson Tuesday recommended the district build additions to the high school to address its growing student population.
The high school is projected to exceed capacity by 2025, according to an ongoing feasibility study conducted by RLPS Architects called Vision 2030.
The additions to the high school would be the first step in a larger plan to address student population growth in the entire district, which is projected to be near capacity by 2030.
“It doesn't make a lot of sense to bring this path as an action item to the board that outlines everything for the next five years. There's a lot of moving parts."Superintendent Mark Madson
Madson previously presented two final pathways to address this growth. The pathway he ultimately chose, Pathway A, also includes building additions at Orefield Middle School.
Madson said he would not yet ask the board to vote on whether the district should move forward with all parts of that pathway because he wants the district to be flexible if circumstances change.
“It doesn't make a lot of sense to bring this path as an action item to the board that outlines everything for the next five years. There's a lot of moving parts,” Madson said.
None of the Parkland School Board directors expressed concerns about moving forward with additions to the high school when the plan was presented at Tuesday’s meeting.
Madson’s team will now find an architect to design the additions to the high school, he said. The school board directors will vote on whether to approve that architect at a future board meeting, likely in October.
Additions to the high school are estimated to be completed by the end of 2026, according to a previous presentation.
The district has considered building a new high school but decided it is not feasible because of the cost and potential inequities between the schools.
What would the additions be like?
The additions would be about 60,000 square feet. They would bring more space that could be used for low-incidence disability instruction and STEM education, according to a presentation at the last board meeting.
The presentation at Tuesday’s board meeting said the additions would include a ninth grade wing that would host core classes and electives specifically for 9th graders “to assist with transition and support.”
The additions would have approximately 30 new learning spaces to provide for 750 students. They would also connect the hallways in the back of the building to improve circulation.
Madson said the additions to the high school are estimated to cost between $42 million and $50 million.
The additions would be completed a year after the high school is projected to exceed capacity. But Madson has said “reaching capacity” does not mean students can’t enroll; it is more of an ideal limit than an actual limit.
The district's middle schools also are projected to exceed capacity in coming years: Orefield Middle School in 2028 and Springhouse Middle School in 2027, before its enrollment is projected to drop.
If the district decides to follow Pathway A, the second step would be additions and renovations to Orefield Middle School, which is estimated to be completed by mid-2028, according to the presentation.
The additions would be about 65,000 square feet. The district would build a larger cafeteria, special education classrooms, a music classroom, counseling spaces and more in the additional space, according to last month’s presentation.
Madson said at Tuesday’s meeting that he would want to use the construction project as an opportunity to make Orefield Middle School feel more like a middle school, since it was originally built as a high school.
Madson said the renovations and additions to the middle school are estimated to cost between $123 million and $139 million.
The additions would increase capacity by 600 students. The middle schools would then likely be redistricted to offset increased Springhouse Middle School enrollment.
