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BASD forms district design committee to study facilities, enrollment and catchment areas; feasibility study planned

Bethlehem Area School District Board (Finance & Human Resources Committees) · February 10, 2026

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Summary

The board authorized creation of a district design committee to review enrollment, utilization and boundary scenarios, pursue a formal feasibility study and deliver recommended design options; committee membership, public meetings and a timeline aiming for recommendations by mid-2027 were outlined.

The Bethlehem Area School District board discussed and advanced formation of a district design committee at its Feb. 9 meeting. The committee’s charge is to examine enrollment trends, elementary catchment areas, facility utilization and long‑range district design with the stated goals of improving educational quality, pursuing fiscal responsibility, ensuring equity, and keeping the process transparent and public.

Board leadership said the committee will include four board members (to allow a working quorum), central administrators, two principals, a teacher representative, parent representatives and community members. The chair said the first action will be a formal feasibility study: the district has solicited firm recommendations from PSBA and peers, expects to issue an RFP, and plans to review proposals before selecting a consultant to develop alternative scenarios.

Officials said the committee will operate publicly and encourage broad community participation, including rotating meeting sites to reach different neighborhoods. The presentation included an aggressive timeline: prelaunch work already completed, feasibility work planned in spring and summer, and desktop design recommendations developed for full board consideration next school year with final options possibly returned by June 2027.

Committee leaders emphasized that the effort is not a predetermined push to close schools but a data‑driven process to explore efficient scenarios and present two or three vetted options for board action. The board asked that meetings be recorded and archived for public viewing, and administrators agreed.