Tredyffrin-Easttown board approves name for new Swedesford elementary as Bear Hill Elementary School

The Tredyffrin‑Easttown School District board of directors voted 9‑0 on March 24 to name the district's new elementary school at 1200 West Swedesford Road in Berwyn "Bear Hill Elementary School."

District officials said the recommendation followed a four‑phase naming process that produced 246 unique name proposals and more than 1,300 instances of public input, including an online poll on four finalists. The full board majority endorsed the public information committee's recommendation after presentations by district staff and historical research drawn from several local organizations.

Dr. Simondara, the district director of educational programming, and Chris Connolly, the district communications specialist, outlined the naming process to the board. They told the board the process was guided by board policy 7080, which directs that building names be indicative of the area and not be personal names. The district solicited names from the public in November, vetted submissions against the policy and first‑responder input, and returned four finalists—Bear Hill, Blue Heron, Bluestone and Covered Bridge—for a final round of public comment.

Officials described the historical ties behind the chosen name. The school site lies near the historic village known as Howeville (Howell’s village), an early settlement with multiple 18th‑ and 19th‑century quarries and a long history of local community activity. District materials trace Bear Hill Road’s name to the Black Bear Tavern, an 18th‑century landmark in the area. Dr. Simondara said the district worked with the Tredyffrin‑Easttown Historical Society, the Tredyffrin Historic Preservation Trust, the Tredyffrin Township Historical Commission and Mount Zion AME Church during the process.

Rob Williams, chair of the Tredyffrin Township Historical Commission, praised the collaboration: "It was magnificent," he said, adding the site has deep historical associations that the district and community can interpret in school programming.

Board members who spoke during discussion emphasized the volume of public engagement. Dr. Allen, chair of the ad hoc public information committee, said Bear Hill received strong support among respondents to the committee’s outreach. Board member Mr. Hong said the district plans to carry local history—such as quarrying, creekside ecology and local wildlife—into school curricula and displays regardless of the final name. Several members noted the committee consulted first responders to avoid names that might cause emergency‑response confusion.

The board also received an update on construction and financing tied to the new school. The administration reported selective interior demolition was completed in February, construction bid documents were scheduled for release March 28, and construction on the existing building and addition is expected to begin in August. The district said the target opening date for the school is August 2027.

Financial figures presented to the board included a rough, all‑in conversion construction budget of about $53,000,000 and a projected annual operating cost of about $8,000,000 once the school opens. The finance update noted a scenario, at current market conditions, that could add roughly $4,000,000 in annual debt service to fund the total project; district staff said funding strategies, including bond issues and staged capital contributions from the general fund, remain under discussion and will be refined in coming budget workshops.

The district said the selection of a school mascot will be handled later by the students once the school community is established. The board’s vote to approve the name was unanimous: 9 ayes, 0 nays.

Next steps outlined by the administration include releasing construction bid documents, continuing community outreach about the building’s design and program, and carrying the local historical material gathered during the naming process into the new school’s student‑facing materials and displays.