CLEARFIELD – The Clearfield school board has proceeded with its current high school renovation and expansion project and could direct its architect as early as next Monday about its plans for the Clearfield Middle School and Clearfield, Centre and Bradford Township Elementary Schools.
During committee meetings last night, Architect J. Greer Hayden of HHSDR Architects/Engineers of Sharon presented three options for moving forward with the middle and elementary school buildings. Both Option 1 and Option 2 would consolidate grades kindergarten through six into the CES.
Option 1 would include a two-wing expansion and a kitchen addition at the CES. Each grade level would have seven classrooms, except kindergarten, which would have 10 classrooms. The guidance area would be expanded and a security vestibule added to the school’s entrance, Hayden said.
This first option costs $10.4 million and has higher site costs because the two-wing addition would displace the playground area. The second option is similar but would have a “reduced scope” and eliminate the kitchen addition, which significantly reduces its costs. Option 2 costs $8.8 million.
CES Principal James Quick said he and Superintendent Dr. Thomas B. Otto reviewed the seating capacity of the CES cafeteria in case the district would proceed with Option 2. Food Service Director Jeff Kavelak asked Quick if he planned to have one or two serving lines if the district proceeded under the second option.
Quick indicated they would likely have one line, and it would take longer than the current 90-minute period to serve all the students. Kavelak said he was concerned about storage but believed the outdoor freezer at the high school campus could be utilized for those purposes.
Kavelak said so long as Quick was comfortable with the seating capacity without the kitchen addition, he would be as well. However, he told the board he favored Option 1, as it would allow two serving lines and lunches would be served more efficiently.
Hayden also presented an Option 3, which would keep all the elementary buildings open and return fifth and sixth grades to them from the middle school. He said this option would include a smaller addition at the CES with the bare minimum renovations to Bradford Township and Centre Elementary Schools.
He proposed tearing down the original wing and adding a small addition at Bradford Township. He wasn’t proposing any addition at Centre and only a reconstruction of the entry way. He proposed restroom and kitchen improvements at both Bradford Township and Centre.
Option 3 would cost the district $.9.3 million for the proposed plans at all three elementary buildings.
Afterward, Otto provided his financial and educational analysis of the proposed elementary building options. If the district consolidated into the CES and closed its administrative offices, it would realize a total savings of $1.4 million annually. In addition, he said it would have equal class sizes district-wide.
Otto said if the district closed the middle school and district administrative offices, it would realize a total savings of $760,652. However, he shared numerous educational program concerns with Option 3.
According to him, class sizes are increasing at Centre and by 2014-15, all 11 classrooms will be utilized. He said this would leave the school without Title 1 and Learning Support classrooms. By 2015-16, he said the school would be a classroom short because grades kindergarten through four would need two classrooms each.
Otto said that Centre’s music and art programming would remain a mobile classroom, which needs upgrades.
In addition, he said class numbers are large at Bradford with kindergarten at 27 students and grades one and four at 28 students. He said all available classrooms would be used in 2014-15; plus, if another grade is added, there wouldn’t be room.
Otto said music and art would be offered in a classroom by the boiler room, a space that might be needed for Learning Support.
Overall, he suggested Option 3 would result in class size inequality throughout the district.
In concluding his analysis, Otto said that Option 1 and Option 2 save the district approximately $1.4 per year. He said the district’s debt service increases to approximately $2.6 million, an increase of $700,000 from its current debt service of approximately $1.9 million.
However, he said the district would have $705,615 more annually to use for its operating expenses. Not to mention, the district’s buildings would be safe and updated.
Under Option 3, Otto said it would cost nearly the same to build a smaller addition to the CES and to minimally upgrade Centre and Bradford Township. He said the district wouldn’t be providing the opportunity to have educational equality to all of its students throughout the district.
According to him, although the district would still save $760,652, it would be offset by the increase in the debt service incurred. He said the district would have an additional $60,652 more each year to use for operating expenses and further work would need directed toward Centre and Bradford Township.
Otto said that the district has exercised its right to furlough teachers based on declining enrollment and it’s not eligible to utilize this option again for several more years. However, he said the district would be able to furlough teachers based on a re-organization of educational programming or restructuring of its school system. He said this option would be available to use for the 2014-15 school year if the district proceeds with the elementary building project.
He said if it accepts the proposed CES project, the district would have one junior-senior high school for grades seven through twelve with grades kindergarten through six at the CES. He said the district might be able to further reduce teaching staff if necessary, and this could result in financial savings in excess of the $1.4 million.
Hayden has proposed the board give him some direction at its regular meeting next week. In addition, he wants the district to conduct Act 780 and Act 34 public hearings in October.
Before the closure of any school building, the district must advertise its consideration of the same for 15 days prior to the Act 780 public hearing. By law, Act 780 is a public hearing, required by school districts before consolidation can be considered. In addition, it must be held no less than three months before a decision can be made.
The district must also conduct an Act 34 public hearing, because the proposed CES expansion is greater than 20 percent. Act 34 requires that a public hearing be held on all new construction as well as for any substantial additions.
In November, Hayden wants the district to have land development plans approved by the Lawrence Township Planning Commission and the Lawrence Township Board of Supervisors.
On Jan. 21, he would like the district to make its elementary and middle school closing determinations. From there he wants the district to receive project bids in April and to begin construction in June 2013. He anticipated that construction would be completed Aug. 15, 2014.