District administrators presented two facility projects to the finance committee on Dec. 2: a Cedar Brook addition intended to shift sixth graders and an earlier-planned Glenside Elementary addition to add six classrooms. The Glenside proposal carries a $6.8 million estimate and would add roughly six classrooms (capacity ~150 students) with an estimated $500,000 annual debt-service impact, administration said.

Administrators noted the district’s kindergarten class sizes have been unusually low for two consecutive years (roughly 240 across all elementaries versus historical ~300), which reduces near-term capacity pressure and puts Glenside’s projected 95% capacity from older enrollment models into question. Several trustees urged pausing the Glenside vote until January to allow more community engagement and more detailed fiscal trade-offs; administrators noted Cedar Brook’s bid numbers are more fixed and time-sensitive because of construction scheduling.

Bids for materials testing (David Blackmore & Associates) and replacement track equipment were also presented; the track-equipment work totals about $48,000 across three vendors and the materials-testing contract would support both Cedar Brook and Glenside projects. Administrators said some unpaid work on previous planning (about $500,000) would remain if the project were tabled.