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The Pennsbury School Board has announced a special meeting to interview the final two architectural firms vying for plans for a proposed new high school.
Superintendent Dr. Thomas Smith confirmed the meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 7, at 7 p.m. at Fallsington Elementary School in Falls Township.
The special session will open to public interviews with the finalists, whose companies have not yet been disclosed.
The board plans to make final selections and approvals at the regular school board meeting on March 21.
Smith said in an email to residents Friday that it’s important for the community to be involved in the process.
“Once an architect is selected, the design process will take at least a year and will provide multiple opportunities for community members, students and staff to provide input,” Smith wrote.
Last month, architecture firms KCBA Architects, Schrader Group Architecture, Crabtree, Rohrbaugh and Associates, and Perkins Eastman and Spiezle Group presented their conceptual vision for the new facility. The presentation presented various building ideas that would occupy much of the open space between Falcon Field, Hood Avenue and South Queen Anne Boulevard.
After selecting an architect, the district plans to visit the recently completed high school and hold community presentations to gather feedback and secure design and construction approvals.
The district’s timeline calls for construction to begin next summer, with the new building expected to open in late 2029.
The project is expected to cost $240 million to $275 million, and the goal is to keep the cost under $250 million to avoid triggering a voter referendum, a requirement under state law for projects over $300 million.
The new high school is expected to be 475,000 to 505,000 square feet and accommodate up to 2,800 students, officials said.
To fund the project, the district has implemented a tax increase on capital projects and plans to issue bonds.
Pennsbury Chief Financial Officer Chris Berdnik said principal and interest payments could reach $569.4 million, with the possibility of additional borrowing for further area improvements.
The community is divided, with some residents advocating for a new high school as an alternative to renovating existing facilities, while others are concerned about the financial burden the project could place on the district in future years.
Below is Smith’s full email to the community:
Dear Pennsbury School Community,
We are committed to providing the community with regular updates on the progress of the high school program. You can find my previous communications and presentations here.
Last fall, I shared that the district had decided that building a new high school on the current high school campus would be best for our students rather than undergoing major renovations on the west campus. Therefore, we have developed the following tentative project schedule.
We received proposals from nine architects and identified four finalists who brought unique vision and experience to the construction of the new high school. Four companies last week presented concepts for their vision for a new Pennsbury High School. You can view their demo here. It’s important to remember that these are just concepts. The final design will take a year and will likely look very different.
Which architect will design the new high school?
From the four finalists, two architecture firms were selected and will be interviewed during A special board meeting will be held on March 7 at 7 p.m.. This is a formal board meeting open to the public. It will be recorded and released the next day.
What happens after you choose an architect?
As we embark on the journey to create a new high school, community feedback is an important part of the process. Once an architect is selected, the design process will take at least a year and will provide multiple opportunities for community members, students and staff to provide input.
Regular updates during the design process will be shared with the community before the final design will be formally presented at an Act 34 public hearing/presentation sometime in the spring of 2025.
As I have shared before, we believe this program will have a positive impact on our students and staff for many years to come. Please take this opportunity to learn more about this exciting project.
Sincerely,
Thomas A. Smith, Ed.D.
superintendent
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