Architects outline options after early feasibility study of Elizabethtown Area High School

RLPS Architects gave the Elizabethtown Area School District board an update May 13 on a feasibility study for the district's high school, saying the firm will present option packages this summer and ask the board for a direction in October. The presentation identified difficult-to-repair sanitary piping, multiple classrooms that do not meet Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) minimum square-footage guidance, and a building whose layout has a large non-program area that drives costs.

The update matters because district leaders are weighing whether to repair, renovate or replace major systems and spaces in a building that the architects estimate at about 433,000 square feet overall while the program — the portion used for instruction and student support — totals roughly 254,000 square feet. Those differences and the condition of mechanical and sanitary systems will shape proposed options and high-level cost estimates, RLPS said.

"We're here to talk about the feasibility study and give you an update to where we are," Chris Linke of RLPS Architects told the school board. Linke and RLPS colleague Erin Hoffman laid out the team's schedule and findings from the discovery phase, saying the firm is two to two-and-a-half months into the study and will use public engagement to refine options.

RLPS said the team's discovery work focused on three things: building condition, physical capacity, and how spaces are used educationally. A major engineering challenge is a sanitary sewer main that runs beneath slabs and through crawl spaces and basements, with numerous branch connections to bathrooms, science rooms and the cafeteria. RLPS presented a three-dimensional model showing the main run with multiple ties, and said replacing or rerouting that line could be complicated and expensive.

The architects also reported that several general classrooms fall below PDE guidance for minimum instructional area. "You've got 11 classrooms that are under that 660 required square foot," Hoffman said, noting the district also has spaces being used as classrooms that are under 725 square feet. RLPS highlighted interior classrooms and limited daylighting — 21 general classrooms are internal, along with seven learning-support rooms and four science labs that lack exterior exposure — which the firm said diminishes educational utility.

RLPS showed a simple metric called a grossing factor (building square footage divided by program square footage) and noted the district is on the high side of typical targets used by PDE; the firm said a goal range is about 1.5–1.58. The present building's circulation, long corridors and multiple connections increase overall square footage without adding instructional value, the consultants said.

On engagement and next steps, RLPS outlined public and staff outreach that already has included student focus groups, staff surveys, building walkthroughs and a board focus meeting. The firm said it will develop initial option concepts in June, refine them with a steering committee, return in August for deeper public and staff review, and present information that will allow the board to give direction by October. RLPS and district staff said they will hold a public town hall on May 19 at 6 p.m. in the Bridal School auditorium; the meeting will include a 20-to-25-minute presentation and an interactive question-and-answer portion.

Board members asked about the town-hall format, advertising, and whether tours would follow; administrators said they will post the event on the district website and social media and that staff-led tours are planned later in the summer. Director of operations Michael France volunteered to prepare presentation files for the event.

The board did not take a formal vote on facilities at the May 13 workshop; RLPS will return with option packages, refined costs and additional public input before the board considers any resolution or capital recommendation.

Next steps: public town hall May 19, continued option development through June, staff and steering-committee refinement in August, and a board direction targeted for October 2025.