Hempfield's middle school consolidation vote: Here's what you need to know

The beginning of Hempfield Area High School’s $128 million revitalization project is edging closer.

This summer, the district plans to kick off construction on the project that will gut the school to its structural system and replace everything as new.

But before ground can be broken, the school board and administration need to iron out some details.

Among those details is a decision on where to house ninth graders during the 2½-year project. Hempfield leaders have proposed moving ninth grade to the neighboring Harrold Middle School and permanently consolidating sixth, seventh and eighth grade students into the Wendover and West Hempfield middle schools.

That plan has faced backlash from concerned parents and community members who view Harrold as an integral part of Hempfield students’ education. More than 800 people have signed a petition asking the district to backpedal on its intention to consolidate the middle schools.

On Tuesday, community members will have one last chance to voice their opinions on the issue before the school board puts consolidation to a vote.

What is revitalization?

Four years ago, the district began discussing plans to revamp its now 66-year-old high school building. Officials were faced with a decision: renovate the building, revitalize it or rebuild it.

In March, the board decided on revitalization, taking the building down to its structural system and replacing everything as new.

The project, which is projected to start this summer and end in December 2025, will occur in nine phases to minimize the disruption to education.

SitelogIQ, a Minnesota-based company that has an office in Oakmont, is handling the project’s construction and management services, while Bellevue-based Core Architects was hired for architectural and engineering services.

Three focus areas

A lot needs to change at the high school, according to district leaders.

The three primary areas of concern that prompted revitalization were safety, structure and technology, the district told the Tribune-Review.

Safety concerns stem from the school’s main entrance — which the district says is not a “secure vestibule,” despite being guarded by school police — and the athletic facilities’ current location, which hinders school security. The athletic facilities would be safer if they were housed closer together, the district said.

Structural changes will largely target the learning experience. Classrooms and the library will be restructured to foster a more collaborative environment, and the arts department will gain more space.

Expansions to the arts wing will include studios for ceramics, 2D, 3D and digital art, photography and an engineering lab. The wing also will see improvements, including wheelchair access and Braille signage for students with disabilities.

The 1950s building wasn’t built with 21st-century technology in mind and changing that will be a “priority” in the revitalization, the district said.

In addition to those three areas, Hempfield hopes to implement a Practical Assessment Exploration System Lab within school walls. PAES Labs, which are found in many school districts, offer hands-on training and vocational experiences to students.

The district also plans to upgrade the school’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system to be more energy efficient, environmentally friendly and sustainable.

The high school’s revitalization was initially projected to cost between $97.4 million and $109.9 million. Inflation and square footage expansion have bumped up that cost estimate to $128 million.

Board members voted in April to move forward with a bond issuance that will cover costs of the project. The bond will not exceed $156 million.

Where does Harrold fit in?

District leaders want to use the Harrold building to house ninth graders during the high school project. Subsequently, Harrold students, faculty and staff would move permanently to Hempfield’s other two middle schools.

From Hempfield’s perspective, the district’s declining enrollment points to a need for two middle schools rather than three. Harrold is the oldest of the three schools.

Districtwide, enrollment has declined by about 30% over the past 30 years.

Of the three middle schools, Harrold’s enrollment has declined the most dramatically, from 636 in 1993 to 370 this school year, a 42% decrease. During the same time frame, Wendover’s enrollment declined by 29% (from 604 to 429 students) and West Hempfield’s enrollment declined by 30% (from 569 to 401 students).

Across all of Hempfield’s middle schools, there were 1,809 students in 1993; there are now 1,200 students. That’s a difference of 609 students, which is roughly how many students each of the middle schools housed in the ’90s.

Since 1993, the high school’s enrollment declined by 24%, from 2,182 to 1,651.

The oldest school

Built in 1921, Harrold is the oldest school in the district. It last received an addition or renovation in 1999.

By comparison, Wendover was built in 1971 and last received an addition or renovation in 2013; West Hempfield was built in 1966 and last received an addition or renovation in 2002.

Parents are concerned over how consolidation could impact student-teacher ratios, transportation and home values, among other issues. They say consolidation will overcrowd classrooms that some say already have too many students.

The district said in October that the goal is to have the ratio remain at one teacher per 25 students by moving Harrold teachers to Wendover and West Hempfield.

In addition, some parents said they chose to live near Harrold because of its close proximity to the high school and Fort Allen Elementary School. Harrold is across the street from the high school, while Fort Allen is a three-minute drive from the two schools.

If middle school consolidation occurs, it could mean longer car rides and bus rides for students who would have attended Harrold, parents say. Wendover is a 14-minute drive from the high school, and West Hempfield is a 12-minute drive.

Parents also think consolidation could mean decreased home values for those who live near three of the district’s schools.

The vote

On Tuesday, board members will vote on whether to approve middle school consolidation and house ninth graders in Harrold beginning in the 2023-24 school year.

Before the vote, community members will have the opportunity to comment on the proposal.

The meeting will start at 7 p.m. in Harrold Middle School.

The district has a page about its consolidation plans on its website under the “our district” tab.

The agenda for the Feb. 21 board meeting can be accessed within the school board page under the “our district” tab on the district’s website.

The link to the petition to keep Harrold open can be accessed here.