CLEARFIELD – The Clearfield Area School District Board of Directors were presented with grade configuration and facility options as well as their implications on those proposed by the district’s feasibility study advisory committee at its work session Monday night.
J. Greer Hayden of HHSDR, the district’s architect, said the committee members developed options and more specific ones from their original set. He “walked through” each of the six options with the board but noted that the committee was leaning toward the last.
Option 1
Under the first option, Hayden said that the grade configuration would remain kindergarten through fourth grades, fifth through eighth grades and ninth through 12th grades. Repairs would be completed at Girard-Goshen and Clearfield Elementary Schools, he said.
According to Hayden, there would be renovations with additions to Centre and Bradford Township Elementary Schools as well as to the Clearfield Middle School. He said there would be renovations to the Clearfield Area High School, where the district offices would be housed on the lower level.
Hayden said that a new maintenance facility would be constructed, and the present district administration/maintenance facility would be closed. Renovations would also be completed to the high school athletic facilities.
Option 2
Again, Hayden said that the grade configurations would remain the same with kindergarten through fourth grades, fifth through eighth grades and ninth through 12th grades. He said that repairs would be completed at the Girard-Goshen and Clearfield Elementary Schools, with the latter also getting an addition.
In addition, there would be a new middle school constructed, and the high school and its athletic facilities would be renovated. New administration and maintenance facilities would also be constructed. Bradford Township and Centre Elementary Schools, the present administration/maintenance facility and middle school would close, he said.
Option 3
In option three, Hayden said that the district’s grade configurations would change to kindergarten through fifth grades, sixth through eighth grades and ninth through 12th grades. Repairs would be completed to both the Girard-Goshen and Clearfield Elementary Schools, with the latter to get an addition, he said.
Further, he said that there would renovations and additions to either Centre or Bradford Township Elementary Schools. He said a new middle school would be constructed, and renovations would be completed to the high school and its athletic facilities. Also, he said that the district offices would be relocated to the lower level of the high school.
Hayden said that a new maintenance facility would then be constructed for the district. He said that either Centre or Bradford Township Elementary School would close as well as the present district administration/maintenance facility and the middle school.
Option 4
Hayden said the grade configuration would change to kindergarten through sixth grades and seventh through 12th grades in option four. He said there would be repairs completed to both Girard-Goshen and Clearfield Elementary Schools.
There would be renovations with additions to both the Centre and Bradford Township Elementary Schools. The high school and its athletic facilities would then be renovated with a new addition constructed for the seventh and eighth grades. The district offices would also be located on the lower level, he said.
Hayden said there would be a new maintenance facility constructed for the district. He said that both the current district administration/maintenance facility and the middle school would close.
Option 5
Under the fifth option, Hayden said the grade configurations would change to kindergarten through third grades, fourth through seventh grades and eighth through 12th grades. There would be repairs and a new addition to the Clearfield Elementary School, he said.
He said that a new middle school building would be constructed, while the high school and its athletic facilities would be renovated. He said that the district offices would be relocated into a new addition at the high school building.
Hayden said that a new maintenance facility would be constructed for the district. Also, he said that the Centre, Bradford Township and Girard-Goshen Elementary Schools, the present district administration/maintenance facility and middle school would all close.
Option 6
Hayden said that the district’s grade configuration would change to kindergarten through fifth grades, sixth through eighth grades and ninth through 12th grades. Repairs and a new addition would be completed at the Clearfield Elementary School, he said.
He said the district would either construct a new middle school or renovate the existing building. He said that renovations would be completed at the high school and its athletic facilities; the district offices would be relocated to the lower level of the high school.
Hayden said that a new maintenance facility would be constructed for the district. He said that Bradford Township, Centre and Girard-Goshen Elementary Schools, and the present district administration/maintenance facility and middle school would also close.
Hayden said that option six would cost approximately $56 million if the district decided to construct a new middle school building. The second most favored – option five – would be slightly less at approximately $55 million, he said.
Afterward, board President Dave Glass concurred with Hayden, indicating that both options five and six “captured” the members of the advisory committee.
“Especially six,” he said. He said the committee consisted of board members and parents and others from the community. He said the parents appeared to be OK with closing two or three elementary school buildings, so long as the district “wasn’t picking on” just one.
Glass pushed for the board to reach its consensus this year and said that prolonging their decision would only make it more costly down the road. Board member Jennifer Wallace agreed.
“We need to start the process and make a decision. We can’t keep spinning our wheels, or we’ll never have a decision,” she said. “. . . I was at all but one of the committee meetings.
“I was concerned to see the condition of the district’s buildings. Bradford (Township Elementary School) was just scary to see. We don’t need any more surprises; we don’t need another like at Girard-Goshen.”
Hayden said that they didn’t find any immediate safety issues during the evaluative process. However, he said that the conditions are currently being monitored at Bradford Township Elementary School, and they have a plan if there would be any “sudden change” there.
Hayden also mentioned that Girard-Goshen Elementary School has its roof study under way. Further, he said there appears to be “ongoing crises” with freezing coils and pipes at the high school, which has disrupted the process.
Glass said that the board needs to initiate the process by first identifying the facilities that will remain open, such as the high school and the Clearfield Elementary School.
He said that the high school would need renovations, as it’s a 36-year-old building. He also pointed out that the district doesn’t want to remain in its present administrative building long-term.
“It’s a matter of scope . . . which grade, which building,” Glass said. He said the board needs to develop a timeline for moving forward and both reaching and carrying out its decision.
Glass thanked everyone who served on the district’s feasibility study advisory committee.
