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Architect presents feasibility study framework, finds enrollment steady at Bermudian Springs SD
Summary
An architect leading a facilities feasibility study told the Bermudian Springs SD board the district’s enrollment appears steady and the study will focus on program fit and facility condition rather than an enrollment‑driven construction push; educational‑program review and a summer building walkthrough are next steps.
Anthony Foltock, a principal and architect with Crabtree (as stated in the meeting record), told the Bermudian Springs School District board that the firm's feasibility study is a planning exercise "not a project" and will focus on enrollment trends, facility condition and options for renovation or replacement.
The study, Foltock said, follows the sort of documentation the Pennsylvania Department of Education requires for PlanCon reimbursement — noting that PlanCon has been in moratorium for more than a decade — so the district would be ready if reimbursement reopens. "This is just a study. We are understanding this is not a project," he said, adding the work is intended to test "what if" scenarios for long‑range planning.
Foltock summarized the study components: demographics and projected enrollment; an educational‑program overview and a fit analysis comparing proposed program needs to existing building spaces; a facility conditions assessment by engineers (mechanical, civil) to identify systems past their life cycle; development of options (renovation, addition or replacement); and order‑of‑magnitude cost estimates. He said the consultant team includes a retired superintendent serving as director of educational planning to assist with enrollment and program analysis.
On enrollment, Foltock reported the district's October 2025 enrollment at 1,631 students. The Department of Education's projection example cited in the presentation was higher (about 1,715 at one referenced point), while the consultant average projection cited in the presentation was about 1,476 across scenarios. Foltock said the district's population is aging and new housing growth has been minimal (less than 1% new housing in the past 10 years), and concluded the likely near‑term picture is steady enrollment rather than growth. "We don't think that this project, if it turns into one, would be enrollment driven," he said.
Foltock also described utilization targets (elementary ~90%, middle ~80%, high school ~85%) and said a fit analysis will test whether a proposed program can be accommodated in existing classrooms or whether additions or replacement are needed. The facility conditions assessment will identify systems (HVAC, roof, site work) that may require priority attention if they threaten instruction continuity.
Next steps outlined in the presentation include a June board update on the educational program overview, summer facility walk‑throughs with administration and buildings & grounds staff, and presentation of options and cost estimates in August for the board to review. Foltock emphasized the consultants will use district guiding principles and administration input to develop several options and associated estimates for board consideration.
The board did not take any formal action on the study at the meeting; the presentation will continue through the summer schedule and return with program and condition findings in subsequent months.
