Keith Valley Middle School nearing completion; building to open in August, athletic fields pushed to 2026
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Summary
District construction managers and school leaders told the Hatboro-Horsham School Board the new Keith Valley Middle School building will open for school and community pool/gym use in August, while athletic fields and the football/track complex will not be available until fall 2026. Landscaping, tree removals and final finishes are under way.
Hatboro-Horsham School District officials provided the board with a construction and transition update for the new Keith Valley Middle School during the March 10, 2024 work session, saying the building will be available for school use in August while outdoor athletic fields and the future football/track will not be ready until fall 2026.
The update, presented by CHA representatives and school leaders, summarized progress across the building: district administration offices, auditorium finishes, classroom pods, the main gymnasium, the eight-lane pool and mechanical systems. Miguel Collado, CHA, said, "As you can see from the video, wood doors installation has been completed, carpet is in." Collado and CHA colleagues reported that polished concrete and carpet installation in the auditorium and commons, final casework and toilet fixtures in classroom pods, and electrical and mechanical work are moving toward completion.
Board members heard timing details for major systems. Collado said the building management system controls are being programmed, and startup of two air-cooled chiller units is scheduled for April 17, followed by system balancing. Contractors will perform a shell pool leak test after final waterproofing and before finish work. The district also received early delivery notice for the emergency generator and reported that PECO turned on gas service this week.
The presentation addressed landscaping and tree work. Jimmy Lynch (site landscaping) said the site plan follows prior land development approvals and township landscaping requirements. He said the project will remove about 118 existing trees and replace large sections of the Arundel property line: "we're replacing the 67 or so overgrown trees on Arundel with more than 100 new evergreen trees." The presentation listed additional planting totals across the site and said 26 required trees will be planted off-site to meet township ordinance requirements. Lynch said affected trees along utility easements were removed because they repeatedly caused outages and property damage.
School leaders described plans to transition students and the community into the building. Principal Mr. Kircher said staff and student tours have begun, student council members visited the site, and the district will use student-created infographics and team branding inside teaming areas to help students and families navigate the larger building. Kircher described a student time capsule and student artwork to be displayed in the community room, and said the district plans soft-openings and a larger public open house on June 14, 2024.
Officials outlined how site circulation and athletic facilities will come online. The main staff parking lot (Lot A) will be available this July after resurfacing and striping; parent drop-off areas and a bus loop will be accessible by August for the start of school. Tennis courts are expected to be ready for fall sports in September. The district expects demolition of the existing building to begin in November; soil moving and field construction would follow, with the football field and track returning to service in fall 2026.
Board member David Brown asked whether chiller noise would affect nearby neighbors. District and CHA presenters said the new units are air-cooled (not water-cooled cooling towers) and are sited and shielded by building mass and a stair tower; presenters said classrooms are not adjacent to the chiller niche. In response to other operational questions, staff said the district will coordinate generator, fire alarm and IT startups in April and is developing cleaning and turnover schedules for classroom wings.
Budget and schedule updates were brief. Jimmy Lynch said the project is "under budget right now with respect to our project budget for soft costs" and that no cost events were being reported at the time of the presentation. District staff said there remain "a couple of months" of on-site work even after the building opens to occupants and that use of some athletic fields will be phased in over the following year.
The presentation closed with an invitation to continued board and public engagement during the transition. Staff said they will continue regular facilities-committee updates and provide more detailed timelines as finish work, system start-ups and demobilization proceed.
