Carlisle Area SD reviews K–8 realignment, three sites for new 7–8 school and $85M–$98M project budget; contract vote set for next week

The Carlisle Area School District board met as a whole to review a proposed K–8 realignment intended to address enrollment imbalances in the northern part of the district and aging elementary facilities, and to consider authorizing design work for a new 7–8 middle school.

Superintendent Colleen Friend opened the presentation and described roughly 18 months of subcommittee work on programming, staffing and enrollment that underpins the proposal. "We are very excited to present to you this evening on about a year and a half of committee and some subcommittee work," Colleen Friend said, stressing that the plans and numbers remain preliminary.

Dr. Witham, the district consultant who presented enrollment projections, said the district's third-day counts recently increased by 72 students, or about 1.4 percent, and that capacity pressures are concentrated in the northern schools. "The district grew by 72 students, or 1.4% since the close of last school year," Dr. Witham said, and presenters showed scenarios that would convert five elementary buildings to K–3, turn two buildings (Lamberton and Wilson) into 4–6 intermediate schools and add a new 7–8 middle school.

Consultants from Crabtree Roebaugh and Associates presented three conceptual sites on the high school campus: the former Bel Air footprint (Site 1), a Campus West site adjacent to the high school (Site 2), and a Campus North site north of the high school and west of the stadium (Site 3). Grace of Crabtree summarized trade-offs: Site 1 allows a building outside the recently installed turf field but results in a long linear footprint; Site 2 is compact and could share the high-school auditorium; Site 3 includes its own auditorium but would likely require relocating baseball and softball fields.

Grace said geotechnical borings "did not encounter any unsuitable soil" for the Campus West option, while noting one boring turned up shallow rock and an allowance for rock excavation was included in the estimate. "None of the borings encountered any unsuitable soil," she said, adding that additional borings would be performed once a footprint is near-finalized.

Cost ranges presented by the consultants placed the new middle-school building between approximately $81 million and $92 million depending on site and options; the total realignment budget including allowances for limited renovations was summarized at roughly $85 million to $98 million. The consultants also included allowances for relocating athletic fields where necessary and estimated modest maintenance costs for remaining primary schools.

Architect Scott Cousin described the project's next design phases (programming, schematic design, design development, construction documents), noted the statutory Act 34 public hearing that will be required prior to certain approvals, and outlined a high-level schedule that depends on municipal land-development approvals, permitting and bidding. John, a member of the consultant team, said the district could explore an early site package to accelerate work and that permitting (DEP, NPDES, municipal reviews, traffic) would drive key lead times.

Several board members pressed the consultants on site preference, traffic and field relocation. Scott said Sites 2 and 3 "have favor" from a programmatic and security/circulation standpoint because they allow clearer separation of public and academic zones and better adjacencies for specials; he said Site 1 presents more design constraints because of its lengthy linear plan.

Board members raised operational questions about transportation, start times, teacher involvement, pre-K capacity and the long-term use of two elementary buildings that would be closed under the plan. District leaders said bus routing scenarios were considered and that the district had informed the bus contractor about the planned reconfiguration; they also said teachers, counselors and other staff will be engaged through programming and educational-specification meetings and virtual room walkthroughs.

A recurring concern from board members was geotechnical risk. One member cautioned repeatedly not to underestimate rock-removal costs; consultants had already included an allowance for shallow rock where identified but said further borings will be done during site selection.

Finally, Colleen Friend told the board she would present an amendment next week to the district's contract with Crabtree Roebaugh and Associates that would authorize the firm to begin design services for the project, with a fee structure not to exceed 6 percent. The board did not take action at the meeting; the amendment and related authorizations were placed on the agenda for next week's regular meeting. The superintendent also reminded the public of four upcoming family and community forums and the opportunity for public comment at board meetings.

What's next: the board is scheduled to consider the contract amendment at its next meeting; if authorized, consultants would proceed with additional site analysis, supplemental borings, the Act 34 hearing and schematic design work ahead of bidding and construction.