Master plan for Quakertown schools construction approved: Renovations and new schools projected through 2029

QUAKERTOWN, Pa. - A $134 Million plan to renovated and build new schools in the Quakertown Community School District was approved by the school board Thursday evening.

The Architecture Firm Schradergroup presented a high level overview of the “QUAKERTOWN COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT Facilities Assessment and District-Wide Facilities Master Plan” Volumes 1 and 2 during the school board meeting. The documents outline plans to renovate or maintain nine of the schools in the district, sell one school, and build two new schools by the year 2029.

The plan provides a timeline of construction with the new elementary school set to break ground in 2017 and be completed by 2021. The cost for design and construction is estimated at $45.5 million.

Tohickon Valley Elementary School will be closed and sold or utilized for other purposes while a new elementary school will be constructed on property owned by the school district off of West Pumping Station Road.

Other major projects on the timeline include the renovation of Neidig Elementary by 2022 for just under $20 million.

Quakertown Elementary will continue to be updated for $13.5 million and completed by 2024. By 2026 Richland Elementary will be renovated for just over $3 million according to the plan.

The last phase of the project will be a new middle school to be built next to the new elementary and is expected to cost $36.5 million.

The master plan contains enrollment projections for the future and predicts enrollment in 2021 to be a total of 4591 with a capacity of 5432, giving the school district’s combined facilities an excess capacity of 841.

The enrollment projection brought on an enthusiastic prediction from School Board President Paul Stepanoff that the number could drastically change.

If the Lehigh Valley Health Network succeeds in building its proposed 85-acre heath care campus adjacent to the new schools, the number of families brought into the area could mean an influx of new students to the school district.

Schradergroup, which is not yet under contract by the school district, will attend a November 29^th meeting with the school district and LVHN, as well as representatives from Milford, Richland, and Haycock Townships.

In the motion to approve the plan, the board also voted to disband the Community Facilities Study Committee, whose job it was to visit each facility in the school district and provide recommendations to Schradergroup. They were also commended for their work.

Source: WFMZ