New Castle school district to hear choices for buildings

June 10, 2009

By Patrick E.Litowitz
plitowitz@ncnewsonline.com

Two options offer a number of choices for a group reviewing the New Castle school district’s building needs.

The committee — featuring board members, administration and district residents — will recommend to the school board whether the district should renovate, add, alter or maintain its facilities. Its decision could come as early as June 22, when the group meets next.

Earlier this month, Eckles Architecture and Engineering provided eight proposals but focused on two: modernizing the kindergarten and primary centers or building a new primary center and renovating the current kindergarten center.

“Current primary facilities date back to over 45 years and are in need of both programmatic and physical upgrades due to a natural progression in educational delivery, spatial needs and material wear,” Eckles’ David A. Esposito wrote in his interim report.

It is not a simple matter of selecting Choice A over Choice B.

The cost can run as low as $5.7 million to modernize Harry W. Lockley Primary Center, with the state reimbursing the district $3.7 million.

On the high end, the project would total $32.7 million. That would allow for an overhauled kindergarten center and the construction of a building to hold the district’s first- though third-graders. That facility would be built on a new site.

After the state’s $9.8 million reimbursement, the district’s price tag is $22 million.

The board can reject the committee’s decision, come up with its own plan or do nothing.

Projected enrollment is driving the district to review how it uses its buildings. The state Department of Education, using a 10-year model, forecasts a loss of 500 students by 2017.

Committee member David Gettings suggested a proper gauge would be an 18-year projection, which follows a student from birth to graduation.

“With few exceptions in western Pennsylvania, where districts are growing, the rest are expecting declining enrollments,” Esposito said.

Stan Magusiak, assistant to the superintendent, noted that the state’s numbers traditionally have been accurate.

While enrollment in grades four through 12 is expected to decline, the numbers for kindergarten through third grade are supposed to remain stable.

“I don’t know how you can reconcile the two,” Superintendent George Gabriel said.

Before moving forward, the committee wants to examine additional cost-saving measures. Members suggested finding grants that promote environmental-friendly buildings.

“We need to do a bit of fine-tuning,” Gabriel said.