Leaders in the Hempfield Area School District are proposing to move ninth grade students to a middle school building beginning in fall 2023 as the district prepares for its high school construction project.

The proposal would permanently consolidate sixth, seventh and eighth grade students into Wendover and West Hempfield middle schools and temporarily move ninth grade students from the high school to Harrold Middle School.

The goal is to limit the number of students in the high school during the construction project, which involves tearing the building down to its structural system and rebuilding everything as new.

“This is a daunting task and a hard decision that doesn’t come lightly, but I think, all in all, in the end, this is the best situation for all our students,” school board member Jerry Radebaugh said. “It’s going to free up availability for the high school during the renovation to move people around, and it’s just what needs to happen right now.”

The rationale for the consolidation stems from a districtwide feasibility study that was completed this year, said Matthew Conner, assistant superintendent of secondary education.

The study examined each of the district’s buildings, looking at electrical, mechanical and architectural issues. Estimates for student capacity also were examined.

The study included projected enrollments for the next several school years to ensure that buildings have sufficient capacity, Conner said. Based on school capacity, Wendover and West Hempfield are able to house all middle school students and staff while having space for possible growth.

He noted that other perks of a consolidation include more consistent instruction for students, as well as better collaboration among staff. Wendover and West Hempfield middle school were remodeled more recently than Harrold. Wendover was renovated in 2013 and West Hempfield in 2002, Conner said.

Classes for special education would be provided at both middle schools. Currently, those services are offered only at Harrold.

“We are very excited about allowing students to stay in their neighborhood schools and being able to provide autistic support, emotional support and full-time learning support at both of the middle schools moving forward,” Conner said.

Superintendent Tammy Wolicki said officials are looking at how to divide current Harrold students into the other schools. She said they are looking at enrollment and bus routes and travel time while working to avoid splitting neighborhoods into different schools.

“We feel it’s really important that children who live in the same neighborhood attend the same school,” Wolicki said. “As we’re giving consideration to where that division will be, we’re looking at keeping neighborhoods intact and having them attend all the same middle school.”

The high school project is in the design phase, which could take about a year to complete. Construction could begin as early as June 2023. The goal is to have the project finished for the 2025-26 school year.

District leaders are planning to host community meetings beginning this summer. Board action on the proposal could take place as early as August.

“I think we’ve put a lot of hard work into what we’re doing, and we do want to hear the opinions of the public and move forward. … This should be an exciting time for this district and this area. I’m excited,” school board member Scott Learn said.

School board member Diane Ciabattoni added, “I’m very happy with what we chose, the revitalization, and I’m also very happy with all the work that went into this. … After many meetings and much study, I think we’ve come up with the best plan we could have.”

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