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Penn Manor presents multi‑phase facilities plan; staff proposes new middle school to address northern enrollment growth
Summary
Staff outlined a multi‑phase plan that would begin with a new middle school at the Hambright campus to add roughly 250 seats, followed by renovations at Eshelman and other elementary schools; trustees gave a nonbinding straw poll to proceed with design development.
District facilities staff presented a multi-phase modernization and capacity plan at the Oct. 6 meeting that would begin with constructing a new middle school to address enrollment growth in the northern part of the district.
The presentation noted that several elementary schools and Manor Middle are operating at or beyond capacity and that support and collaboration spaces are limited. The facilities lead described the proposal to site a new middle school on Hambright campus fields near Charlestown Road, to use the existing middle school as temporary swing space, and to sequence Eshelman elementary as the next major renovation. Staff said an Act 34 land-development process and design development would take place across the 2025–2027 window with construction potentially starting in 2027 and occupancy targeted for the 2028–29 school year.
Key context: Staff emphasized that enrollment has shifted northward (Millersville Borough and Manor Township together house roughly two-thirds of students) and that some elementary buildings built as recently as a decade ago already lack spare classroom capacity. The presentation included conceptual site sketches and flagged constraints such as a drainage basin on the proposed Hambright site and a separate deed for the district's Fisher Farm property that may require rededication or lease changes if acreage is needed for the school footprint.
Trustee concerns focused on timing and debt. One trustee asked whether accelerating Eshelman would pull forward borrowing in the district's debt model; staff said final debt scheduling and bond models will be reviewed with financial advisors in January and that project costs remain broad estimates until design development is complete. Facilities staff said the middle-school design would aim to add capacity equal to roughly five classes per grade (about 250 seats) and that plan details will be refined with architects and site visits to recently built middle schools.
Board direction: Trustees provided a nonbinding straw poll supporting continuation of design development for the middle school and parallel consideration of Eshelman and athletic-field planning. Staff said additional information — design schematics, cost estimates and a recommended debt schedule — will be brought back for formal review and any required Act 34 hearings.
