Vencil Presents Options to Facility Study Committee

CLEARFIELD - In order to address the district's building needs and improvements, Scott Vencil, a representative from Crabtree Rohrbaugh and Associates of Mechanicsburg, presented several development options to the Clearfield Area School District's facility study committee at Monday night's meeting.

"No option presented is intended to be a final resolution. I'm putting everything out on the table," he said. "It's a starting point for discussion. And, these options may not be the only options."

Vencil said construction alternatives were developed for all four of the district's elementary schools and both the middle and high school. He added the several different building options also incorporated multiple grade grouping alternatives, including the current K-4, 6-8, 9-12 grouping.

Vencil said other potential grade groupings were K-5, 6-8, 9-12; K-6, 7-12; and K-3, 4-6, 7-12.

"These alternatives reflect not only enrollment and capacity, but the current grade alignment as well as three additional grade grouping alternatives," he said.

"The options have been developed to respond to the facility needs as identified in the study, address the current and future enrollment and physical demands of the building and provide a solid base of information from which to develop a master plan of improvement for the school district."

Vencil said the final solution may encompass select components of one or more of the options.

K-4, 5-9, 9-12 - Current Grade Grouping

While the first option allows the district to maintain all of its buildings, the second comes with two possibilities.

Vencil said the district could close either Bradford or Centre Elementary and maintain the other three. Under option two, the district would also maintain both the high and middle school but make core space additions.

He said option three proposed the closure of both Bradford and Centre Elementary Schools. The district would also maintain Girard-Goshen and Clearfield Elementary.

Vencil said if both Bradford and Centre Elementary Schools closed, the other two were not large enough to house all of the students from the other schools.

"You would be in the red. The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) recommends a surplus capacity," he said.

Vencil said Girard-Goshen had building space available that could be converted into classrooms if the district elected to do so.

However, part two of the option includes a seven to eight classroom addition at the Clearfield Elementary School.

Both option 3 and 3.1 require the middle and high school facilities be maintained with core space additions.

Like the third, option four suggests the closure of both Bradford and Centre but, at the same time, proposes the opening of a new elementary facility, with eight to 10 classrooms and a 250 student capacity.

Vencil said the a new facility could be built anywhere in the district's attendance area.

The middle and high school facilities will also be maintained with core space additions.

K-4, 5-8, 9-12 - Alternative Grade Grouping

Vencil said the district had the option to maintain all buildings.

However, both option 2 and 2.1 proposed the closure of Centre Elementary while maintaining the others. But option 2.1 called for a six classroom addition at the Clearfield Elementary School.

Both required the district to maintain the middle and high school buildings and make core space additions.

K-6, 7-12 Alternative Grade Grouping

Under the first option, the district could elect to maintain all of its elementary buildings and close the middle school. As a result, the high school would, then, be converted to a junior-senior high school.

Option two calls on the district to maintain the Bradford, Centre and Girard-Goshen buildings but make a four classroom addition at Clearfield Elementary. The middle school would be closed, with a new seventh/eighth grade wing at the high school as well as other core space additions.

Option three suggests the district close Centre Elementary and maintain the Bradford and Girard-Goshen facilities. Clearfield Elementary would see an addition of 14 classrooms. The middle school building would also close. Like option two, a new seventh/eighth grade wing would be tacked on at the high school, with other core space additions.

Both options four and five propose closing the Centre and Bradford Elementary facilities while maintaining the Clearfield and Girard-Goshen buildings.

However, option four requires the middle school undergo a conversion to a K-6 Center. Option five, however, proposes the construction of a new, 24 classroom elementary facility, with a 600 student capacity. The middle school would also close.

Both the middle and high schools would add a new seventh/eighth grade wing on top of core space additions.

Committee Member, Jon Mikesell noted a new science wing was already in the works at the high school.

"Why not make that a new high school wing," he asked Vencil. "The seventh and eighth grade students are not that advanced."

Mikesell suggested the existing science classrooms could be used by the younger students.

Vencil said Mikesell made a great point, and it should be a considered option.

Superintendent, Dr. Denise Keltz asked Vencil, when discussions would begin about the development's ties with the district's educational programs.

"We're taking a broad scope right now with the building options. Once we have everything on the table, we can talk about how educational programs and curriculum will come into play," he said.

K-3, 4-6, 7-12 - Alternative Grade Grouping

While both option 1 and 1.1 require all the elementary facilities be maintained, the grade groupings differ.

Bradford, Centre and Girard-Goshen would serve as a K-3 facility, while the same buildings would become a 4-6 facility in option 1.1.

The Clearfield Elementary School would become a 4-6 facility in option 1, but a K-3 facility in 1.1.

Both call for the closure of the middle school and the conversion of the current high school into a junior-senior high.

In option two, the district would maintain the Girard-Goshen Elementary School while making four classroom additions to both Bradford and Centre Elementary Schools. Both buildings would also undergo other core space additions.

Clearfield Elementary would, then, become a 4-6 facility, and the middle school building would close as a result.

Option three calls for the closure of Bradford Elementary. The district would maintain both the Centre and Girard-Goshen buildings and convert Clearfield Elementary to a K-6 facility. A new, 18 classroom elementary building would open, with a 450 student capacity. The middle school building would close.

Under both options four and five, the district would close the Bradford and Centre Elementary Schools and maintain the Girard-Goshen facility. The Clearfield Elementary School would convert to a 4-6 facility.

However, in option four, the middle school would, then, become a K-3 Elementary Center, while a new, 28 classroom elementary facility, with a 700 student capacity would be built in option five. The middle school would close.

In options two through five, a new seventh/eighth grade wing is proposed at the existing high school as well as other core additions.

Vencil emphasized he was only putting options on the table.

"I'm not advocating the closure of any building," he said.

He said the closure of a district building could potentially create an inconvenience for community members who have children enrolled there. He said a school closure also puts the district in a disposition as to its future use.