ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Allentown School District (ASD) officials recently broke ground on a new elementary school and community building designed by locally based architectural firm Breslin Ridyard Fadero Architects.

Serving most of the city of Allentown, ASD is the fourth-largest school district in Pennsylvania, with 16,628 students spread across three high schools, four middle schools and 15 elementary schools according to 2016-2017 enrollment numbers in ASD’s District Data Snapshot.

This project consists of a new 114,000-square-foot elementary school that will house approximately 875 students from kindergarten through fifth grade, and staff from Cleveland and McKinley elementary schools. The south entrance to the school fronts West Gordon Street and accommodates a dedicated bus drop-off and pick-up zone for eight buses. The north entrance accommodates a dedicated parent drop-off for 20 cars surrounding a parking area built for 79 vehicles. Both entrances access a common lobby that connects the school’s two distinct components: a four-story academic wing and a two-story core facility containing the multi-purpose room, stage, kitchen and music room on the main floor, with the library and art room above.

A two-story 10,000-square-foot community service building is attached to the western end of the academic wing and will house pre-K classrooms, an adult education meeting room, food pantry and potential health services space.

The project’s educational goals align with ASD’s strategic framework and 21st century learning initiatives. Equity of access, safety, personalized learning, collaboration, and technology integration are core values expressed in the school’s design. With a variety of spaces scaled for differently sized small and large group instruction, the building becomes a flexible teaching tool encouraging learning outside the classroom, supporting current styles and future changes in education delivery. Site amenities include a playground that will be available for community use.

WFMZ reports that the district hopes to open doors to the new school in June 2020 that will welcome extra students overcrowded at Ramos and Central elementary schools, and serve as a public space for community gatherings.

“That community building will be able to provide a food bank, it will also provide a health services aspect and then the second floor of the community house will hold a preschool,” said Thomas Smith, director of facility services for Allentown School District, to WFMZ.

A report from WFMZ contributed to this story.

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The new budget will allow many of Oregon’s 197 public school districts avoid cuts and put the money toward the state’s educational achievement goals. Employee layoffs can be largely avoided as well. “The time has come to reinvest,” said Rep. Betty Komp, D-Woodburn.

The Senate approved four additional bills regarding Kitzhaber’s initiatives as well. House Bills 3231 and 3234 address early learning and youth development by creating new divisions within the Department of Education.

House Bill 3233 uses a pre-approved budget of $33 million from the state school fund to establish programs for school development. This includes several teacher training centers and grants allowing schools to increase collaborative efforts.

The Senate approved a budget of $27 million for House Bill 3232, which will use the funding to help increase student achievement in areas such as third grade reading skills and helping at-risk students finish high school and prepare for work or college. It will also fund improvements for science, technology, engineering, the arts and math in schools.

Those who voted against the bill argued that it didn’t provide enough money, or that the money should have been channeled into classrooms more directly.

Kitzhaber commented on his initiatives after the votes, saying, “The K-12 budget will allow school districts to begin planning for the next school year and supports our goal of delivering better results for students and more resources for teachers.”

Kitzhaber’s goals extend beyond just passing budgets, however. He emphasized that the real goal is to make strategic investments that will allow for the greatest means of improving the public school system.
 

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