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Coatesville district recommends closing Cowan and East Fallowfield elementary schools
Summary
The district administration told the school board it recommends permanently closing Cowan and East Fallowfield elementary schools at the end of the 2025–26 school year, citing aging facilities, enrollment shifts and the opening of a new Doe Run Elementary School; the board has yet to set the official closure date.
The Coatesville Area School District administration recommended that the board approve the permanent closure of Cowan and East Fallowfield elementary schools at the end of the 2025–26 school year, Superintendent Dr. Barczyk said during a public closure hearing.
"This recommendation, although necessary, is not made lightly," Dr. Barczyk said, framing the decision as the result of a review of enrollment trends, facility conditions and long-term capital planning.
Mr. Brazell, speaking on the district's Master Facilities Plan and Community Task Force findings, said both buildings were judged to be aging and in need of substantial capital investment. "Continued investment in multiple aging buildings would create a considerable financial burden while limiting the district's ability to modernize instructional environments across the system," he said.
Under the plan described to the board, most students at the two schools would be reassigned to the new Doe Run Elementary School; remaining students from East Fallowfield would be placed through approved boundary adjustments to other district elementary schools. The administration said buildings would generally be closed for instructional use after the end of the school year, while remaining open for transitional or storage purposes into August or early September.
Administrative presenters emphasized that the recommendation followed years of study, community task-force work and a phased facilities strategy that also includes renovation or expansion of other schools where long-term investment is viable. The district said it will implement a comprehensive transition plan covering student placement, transportation, communications with families and preservation of school legacies.
No formal board action on an exact closure date was taken at the May 26 meeting; the administration said the board will be asked to approve an official building-closure motion with a specific effective date in a subsequent vote. The hearing opened under Sections 1311 and 780 of the Pennsylvania Public School Code and concluded the same evening after the administration presentation and an invitation for public comment.
