State College Area School District is forming a steering committee and will hold public forums for a district-wide facilities master plan that could result in a new Park Forest Middle School.
The initial focus of the master planning process will be new construction or renovations and additions for the 53-year-old middle school in Patton Township, which was last renovated in 1995 and in recent years has been eyed as the next major project for the district.
Because of that, the composition of the steering committee will largely be based on connections to Park Forest Middle School. Randy Brown, finance and operations officer, said the composition of the steering committee may change as the district-wide facilities master plan process — which will assess each of SCASD’s buildings, athletic facilities, playgrounds, transportation and security needs — goes beyond the middle school project
The steering committee will include representatives from four interest groups
• SCASD: board members, middle level principals, elementary principals, high school principals and district administrators
• Municipalities: State College Borough; Patton, Ferguson, Halfmoon, and Benner Independent townships
: District-related organizations: PTO/PTA/PTSO, booster groups, SCASD Education Foundation, Citizens Advisory Committees and the SCASD disability workgroup
• Community experience: finance and banking, real estate and insurance
An invitation to participate has already been sent to Park Forest Middle School employees. SCASD staff and families will also be able to apply to be part of the steering committee through the district-wide facilities master plan website. Municipal governing boards are expected to appoint their representatives on the committee.
Steering committee meetings are scheduled for 6 p.m. in the Park Forest Middle School Cafeteria on Feb. 20, March 18, May 29 and June 12.
Public forums are also scheduled for community members to receive updated information and provide feedback and ideas. Each of the meetings will be held at 6 p.m.:
Feb. 27 – Park Forest Middle School cafeteria
Feb. 29 – Radio Park Elementary School cafeteria
April 24 – Grays Woods Elementary School cafeteria
April 29 – Park Forest Middle School cafeteria
At the board’s Jan. 8 meeting, administrators and architectural consultant Crabtree, Rohrbaugh and Associates presented three potential options on district-owned land in the area of the current Park Forest Middle School for either additions or an all new building.
One would involve renovations and additions to the existing building on School Drive. Another would see construction of a new school building on a parcel across Valley Vista Drive. The third option would construct a new school on a currently wooded area between Park Forest Elementary and the existing Park Forest Middle.
