Leaders of Quaker Valley School District’s project team have delivered a presentation and update on the proposed high school project.

Architects at the April 26 school board highlighted community engagement that took place the past year or so, and showcased some conceptual drawings of an estimated 167,000-square-foot facility. Alternate plans could increase its size by about another 20,000 feet.

“A community survey was the basis for the emerging themes that include campus, community, sustainability and teaching/learning,” BSHM Architects principal John Orsini said. “The conceptual design resulted from a series of meetings with both community (members) and the Quaker Valley High School community.

“These ‘Quakers’ provided insight on the relationship between the site and the adjacency of public access, location of site amenities to both neighboring communities as well as the building’s program. The conceptual design is about an understanding of the school, the community and of its place within the larger context.”

The proposed $95 million school would be on part of 150 acres of land off Camp Meeting Road. The property straddles Leet, Edgeworth and Leetsdale. About 650 students would eventually be enrolled.

The preliminary plan for the school would use about 48 acres for the building and grounds. The site already has 10 acres cleared, but the district wants to leave a lot of existing growth as a buffer.

Drawings showed the building divided primarily into three sections. Classrooms would be to the right of the main entrance. Gymnasiums and an auditorium would be to the left. Its hub, or center, would have the cafeteria, a student council space, media center and other student gathering spaces.

There would be 500 parking spaces, a boost from the current school’s 200-space lot.

No football stadium is planned. There is a practice field, tennis court and a lot of green space.

Board member Stratton Nash asked if there were any plans or an increase in cost to the project should there be a spike in enrollment by the time the building was completed.

Bohlin Cywinski Jackson principal Kent Suhrbier said the school is being designed to accommodate 1,010 people, and plans could evolve if necessary.

“We’re anticipating we can add to it,” Suhrbier said.

He also noted input has been gathered from teachers, students and administrators on both the exterior and interior of the school, as well as possible pedestrian and bike connections.

“These discussions, questions and ideas have not coalesced into the core design principles and recommended approach for the design,” Suhrbier said. “We then began exploring the organization of the internal parts of the school.”

There was discussion about outdoor classrooms, as well as amending an earlier idea of a thin, rectangular design to allow more sunlight into the school.

Jon Thomas, president and co-founder of the firm Thomas & Williamson, said the team will be working on designs throughout the summer.

They’ll have another presentation in September with the final schematics.

The goal is to have construction begin in the spring of 2024 and have it ready for students and staff to start the 2027-28 school year.

Charlie Gauthier, district director of facilities and administrative services, said he was encouraged by what he saw so far from the design team.

“We’ve very excited about the process that we’re in right now, especially the schematic design,” Gauthier said. “There’s been a lot of feedback from the high school teachers and the administration that have kind of laid out this format of what you see having that central area, the student area and having the gyms and everything accessible and able to block it off for events in the evening. It’s very early in the schematic design process, but we look forward to seeing those actual images in more detail of what they’re going to provide.”

Superintendent Tammy Andreyko also enjoyed the update, and commended the input from the teachers and administration.

“This has been a very organic process,” she said.

Legal hurdles remain

But before a shovel can hit the ground, the district needs to overcome some legal hurdles.

The first one is an appeal of Leet zoning hearing board’s denial of the district’s special exception application.

Leet’s zoning hearing board unanimously voted to deny the district’s application following about 90 minutes of public deliberation Feb. 9.

Its decision and findings of fact, along with other related documentation, were posted April 26 on the front page of the township’s website, LeetTownship.org.

Quaker Valley’s 45-page appeal was filed in Allegheny County Court on April 12.

Its documents were also posted earlier this month on the township’s website.

That court’s decision could be appealed to a state appellate court.

Gauthier said a court hearing has not yet been scheduled, and nothing has changed on the site since it was purchased by the district about five years ago.

Thomas said the zoning issue has had no impact so far on the design process.

“There’s a separate legal process, but that’s really not us,” he said.

A video featuring photos of the community sessions, conceptual designs and a proposed timeline of development was played at the meeting and posted on the district’s website.

It can be found under the “presentations” section of the school board tab.

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