Bethlehem Area SD outlines Fountain Hill Elementary demolition, temporary move and related land‑development steps

District facilities staff updated the Bethlehem Area School District facilities committee on the Fountain Hill Elementary School replacement project, saying students will occupy a temporary facility on Valley Center Parkway beginning June 1 and that demolition of the old school will follow.

The update came at the start of the facilities committee meeting, where staff said construction contracts were authorized last month, a pre‑construction meeting is set for April 17, and submittals for the work are “rolling in fast and furious.” The presentation said the district remains on track to have students’ last in‑person day at the old Fountain Hill site before moving to the temporary location ahead of construction.

The district also told the committee it is carrying multiple agenda items related to Fountain Hill for the April 28 board meeting: land development improvement agreements, sidewalk and parking easements, stormwater best‑management agreements, PPL right‑of‑way and infrastructure installation agreements, and PlanCon paperwork for Parts G and H. Staff described those items as routine components of the land development and approvals process and said they are proceeding with conditional borough approvals and the associated escrows, sureties and rights of way.

Staff invited the community to a final walk‑through of the existing Fountain Hill building in early April; the meeting noted former students, neighbors and alumni will be welcome to tour the school before demolition and to identify items they might want to preserve. Committee discussion included a brief mention that some mementos might be repurposed for the new building and that staff have talked with teachers and community members about the logistics of moving and preserving selected items.

On the timeline, staff said the temporary Center Valley Parkway facility is in the last phases of fit‑out and is expected to be ready for occupancy June 1, and that the district is planning site work and demolition at the old Fountain Hill site after students relocate. Staff also told the committee that if the state’s PlanCon reimbursement program is reconstituted or funding becomes available, the district will have Parts G and H ready for submission.

The facilities committee did not take a formal vote on those agenda items at the meeting; staff described them as items that will be before the full board on April 28 for consideration.