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West Perry SD steps back from central-campus elementary consolidation; explores New Bloomfield addition and addresses Blain Elementary closure
Summary
The board reported it has paused the previously considered central-campus elementary consolidation because updated costs exceeded district capacity, and is exploring building an addition at New Bloomfield; the board also explained a temporary Blain Elementary closure caused by a burst domestic water pipe.
At its Feb. 9 meeting, the West Perry School District Board of School Directors said it has stepped back from an earlier plan to consolidate elementary schools on the central campus after receiving updated cost estimates that the district judged unsustainable.
"We have stepped back from pursuing an elementary consolidation project here on the central campus," Mrs. Stover said, adding the district is now "exploring the idea to consolidate the elementary program to the New Bloomfield campus, with an addition of a new building and a small addition to the current building." She said conceptual design work is in an early phase and the board expects preliminary cost estimates next month.
During the facilities update, district staff explained a temporary closure of Blain Elementary earlier in the day resulted from a main domestic water pipe failure caused by extreme cold. Eric Woodward and Cory Hoffman described the timeline: building checks over the weekend showed no issues, but early Saturday a call reported water spraying from pipes; maintenance crews traced the problem to a frozen pipe or broken seal and shut down the line. Hoffman said crews were not able to complete repairs before students arrived, prompting the two-hour delay and short closure; staff and contractors were able to assess and correct the problem and the building was expected to reopen the following day.
The board also thanked maintenance staff for their prompt response. Community members had raised questions about facilities and executive-session disclosures during public comment; one commenter referenced the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act in connection with executive-session announcements.
The board will receive more detailed cost estimates and designs for the New Bloomfield option at a future meeting.
