Now that Hempfield Area’s school board has approved middle school consolidation, the district has a hefty task at hand.
Upcoming months will be spent reassigning Harrold students to one of the two remaining middle schools and moving faculty assignments as the district simultaneously prepares to embark on the $128 million high school revitalization project scheduled to break ground this summer.
Middle school experiences
Beginning this fall, all sixth, seventh and eighth grade students will be assigned to Wendover and West Hempfield middle schools, which will house roughly 600 students each.
Currently, there are 429 students at Wendover and 401 at West Hempfield, according to the district..
Both schools are capable of adding more students, though: In 1993, Wendover’s enrollment was 604 students and West Hempfield’s was 569.
A proposal for the student redistricting will be presented to the school board, with directors having the final say on the assignments.
The district has said bus route travel times will remain 55 minutes or less after redistricting.
Harrold’s faculty will move with the students. During Hempfield’s staffing process, which occurs every spring, the district will reassign Harrold teachers to Wendover or West Hempfield. Harrold teachers can request to work in an elementary or high school position if they are certified for the job and vacancies exist.
The district does not anticipate layoffs, school officials said.
Many parents opposed to middle school consolidation expressed concerns that student-teacher ratios would be negatively impacted by consolidation.
Right now, the average number of middle school students per class is 25; the district hopes that number will remain consistent next year.
“We are striving to continue to maintain this average,” Superintendent Tammy Wolicki said in a statement.
New use for Harrold
Harrold won’t be vacant next year. Ninth graders will move into the building during the high school project.
The district anticipates 420 ninth graders in Harrold in fall 2023. Harrold currently houses 370 students but was home to more than 600 students three decades ago.
Harrold’s administration and support staff will continue working at Harrold during this time.
Because the building will be in use, Harrold’s operational costs will remain the same, the district said.
The future of the building after the ninth graders’ time in Harrold is finished is still unclear. In a Q&A, district officials said they will take a “thoughtful approach” to Harrold’s use at that time.
