HOPEWELL TWP. ― After months of previewing potential consolidation plans, the Hopewell Area School Board has decided on a plan.
During its meeting Tuesday evening, the board approved a potential $112.6 million plan for school building consolidation as enrollment has declined in the district. Under the new plan, Hopewell Senior High School will be altered to create a facility that will serve students from grades 7 to 12. A new facility will also be constructed for kindergarten to sixth-grade students, replacing the three elementary schools and the junior high school.
At the meeting, no public members commented on the potential changes. The vote also passed without any discussions, with the board seemingly agreeing on its path forward.
The decision to consolidate schools comes as public school enrollments have steadily declined over the past 25 years, an issue reported by several districts across Southwestern Pennsylvania. Earlier this year, Hopewell Area reported a 37% drop in enrollments since 1999. While their current buildings are intended to serve 5,000 students each day, enrollment was recorded at 2,051 students last year.
“Certainly the facilities are here, but the district is looking to consolidate to the right size to fit what our current trends are,” Jeff Beltz, district superintendent, said in March. “Over the next decade, the district is only projected maybe to go down another 50 to 70 students, so we’re kind of in this ballpark. But we are looking at what the school district should look like moving forward.”
With a plan in place, the board is expected to begin assessing the specific needs of the district to make this change and forming a timeline for renovations. On Tuesday night, the board indicated its members can now discuss several of the specifics of the new plan and begin to move forward with the consolidation.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Hopewell school board decides on consolidation plan
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