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 feet on the slides) and produce annual operations‑and‑maintenance savings in the near term.

The consultant outlined a three‑phase implementation strategy intended to allow partial occupancy by fall 2026. Phase 1 would include demolition and abatement work, masonry repairs in Garfield’s original gym, and procurement of long‑lead items such as electrical equipment and chillers. Phase 2 would finalize classroom and restroom work and rough‑in of mechanical/electrical/plumbing systems while the building is partially occupied. Phase 3 would complete full MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) replacements and any remaining exterior or aesthetic work. Richards estimated the full build‑out could be in the “$20 million–$25 million” range depending on final scope.

Richards flagged tradeoffs. Fully consolidating grades 4–8 at Garfield would produce greater long‑term O&M savings in his analysis (one scenario showed a nearly $930,000 annual reduction) but would require larger immediate investment to upgrade mechanical systems and building infrastructure. By contrast, the recommended plan preserves more flexibility for future growth and generally requires less up‑front capital.

He also reviewed a potential option to convert the Crown American building (Pasquerella Plaza) to school use and told the board that structure’s mechanical systems, stairwell widths, restroom counts, lack of gymnasium/cafeteria and limited parking would require extensive gutting and reconstruction. “That building is simply not made for a thousand students,” Richards said, and converting it would be costly and time‑consuming and unlikely to meet a fall‑2026 timeline.

Richards discussed renewable energy alongside the facilities options. He warned the board that federal tax incentives for solar require a project to be 5% complete by June 2026 to qualify for the full credits; he said that 5% can be final design, material staged on site, or other verifiable work. “If you don't have 5% complete by June, your project is not eligible for the full tax incentive,” Richards said, and permitting for ground‑mounted solar (which often triggers stormwater studies) can take up to nine months.

Board members asked clarifying questions about code items, accessibility work (ramps and elevators), site parking and the timing for demolition work; Richards said the move to begin demolition and long‑lead procurement should be made as soon as possible to avoid higher costs and to meet the fall‑2026 occupancy aim. The superintendent reported later in the meeting that the district is also planning to move board meetings to Pasquerella Plaza once the space is ready, but Richards said converting Crown American to full school use would still be a separate, more expensive undertaking.

No formal vote on a facilities plan was taken Tuesday. Richards recommended the board consider three separate votes in future meetings: (1) Westgate expansion decisions, (2) Garfield solar PPA or ownership decisions, and (3) Garfield renovation/relocation scope and financing.