Upper Dublin School District officials presented a 30% design update for the replacement of Jarrettown Elementary School on Dec. 10, describing the site plan, preliminary interior layout, budget assumptions and next permitting steps while fielding questions from board members and nearby residents.

The presentation, led by project manager Andy Lekman and consultants from ICS and Alloy5, reviewed recent site work including a completed utility survey, an informal sketch submission to the township and ongoing geotechnical testing. ‘‘We are still fairly early in the design process,’’ Lekman said, noting schematic design is complete at about 30 percent and the district has moved into design development.

Why it matters: the project is the district’s largest near‑term capital investment and will alter neighborhood buffers, traffic patterns and athletic facilities. The district estimated the total project cost at $60,000,000, with about $15,000,000 to come from district capital reserves and roughly $45,000,000 expected to be financed, pending final approvals and market conditions.

Key project details included a two‑story building of roughly 87,900 square feet at the current design, classroom and support room layouts designed to meet special‑education needs, and revised site circulation intended to separate parent drop‑off from bus access. Dr. Smith, describing the interior program, said there are four general‑education classrooms per grade level, multiple breakout/collaboration rooms and four learning‑support spaces for services including speech and occupational therapy. The design locates bathrooms in K–1 classrooms and provides single‑use restrooms in wings for supervision and accessibility.

On site planning, consultant Doug said the design minimizes tree removal ‘‘to what we have to physically remove to construct this building,’’ while allowing emergency vehicle access around cleared areas. The design reduces three small on‑site ball fields to two but identifies alternative fields at Maple Glen so the district can maintain athletic capacity during construction. Vehicle queuing capacity on the proposed plan is about the same as today (around 46 vehicles), but sidewalk access is increased so up to 15 cars can safely unload at once, the team said.

Traffic and neighborhood concerns drew extensive committee and public questions. Ryan Murphy of ICS said the traffic study — required by PennDOT and Upper Dublin Township — focuses on vehicular access at the site’s entrances and noted the study does not analyze neighborhood parking patterns on Kenmare Drive. ‘‘We are aware of the concerns that we’re working towards resolving,’’ he said, and the district has filed a traffic concerns form with the township and asked police to monitor nearby streets. Chief Wheatley was reported to have agreed to increased monitoring.

Neighbors raised additional concerns during public participation. Jenny Vitiello (Ambler) asked whether geothermal systems would repeat problems reported at Fort Washington and urged preservation of tree buffers and directional lighting to limit impacts to Kenmare Drive homes. Chris Dell (Kenmare Drive) said the project’s timeline looked like two years of construction plus demolition and field work and asked the district to consider sound mitigation measures. Administration responses emphasized that depicted chain‑link fences are preliminary, the January 28 community event will be open to all Upper Dublin residents, the geothermal well location remains under study and a detailed phasing plan will be available around April.

Schedule and permitting: the team said a sketch submission went to the township in November, with an informal planning commission review scheduled for Dec. 16; the formal preliminary land‑development submission is expected around February 2026 with a planning commission technical review in March and anticipated Montgomery Conservation District submission in March. Technical review and approvals were projected through fall 2026 with bidding and permitting through late 2026; construction was estimated to occupy about two years (roughly 2027–2029) with subsequent demolition and site restoration phases for existing facilities and fields.

Budget and sustainability options: the schematic‑phase cost estimate remains at $60 million, though consultants cautioned that more deterministic pricing will arrive during later design phases. Doug said the project will include bid alternates — for example, geothermal as an alternate versus a base boiler/cooling tower system — and that solar readiness will be evaluated so the building can accommodate panels in the future.

Next steps: the team will submit the formal preliminary land‑development package, continue geotechnical and traffic studies, finalize alternates for the construction documents and provide a more detailed phasing plan in April. The district is maintaining website updates and an FAQ and has invited community members to a Jan. 28, 2026 engagement event.

The finance committee received the update; no formal decisions were taken at the meeting and the district indicated it will return with additional budget detail and phasing information in subsequent updates.