Consultant recommends using existing middle school and part of Garfield to relieve Westgate overcrowding; cautions Crown American conversion would be costly and

A consultant hired to study the Greater Johnstown School District’s capacity and facilities needs recommended on Tuesday that the district use its existing middle school for grades 4–6 and repurpose Garfield for grades 7–8, phased so students could occupy Garfield by fall 2026.

“This option here at the bottom of your page is what we think makes the most sense, both financially and functionally for the district,” consultant Joe Richards of The Efficiency Network told the board. He described moving fourth grade from the Westgate area to the middle school, making the middle school a 4–6 campus and relocating seventh and eighth grades to Garfield.

Richards said the proposal responds to two pressing issues the district faces: overcrowding at the Westgate elementary campus and the need to group age‑appropriate grades together for educational reasons. He told the board the preferred plan would reduce the district’s building footprint (he cited a reduction from about 712,000 to roughly 608,000 square…