School districts in Pennsylvania are required to maintain a current District-Wide Facility Master Plan (DWFMP). Master planning evaluates the physical needs of the facilities, identifies the needs of the community, and balances all components in a package that demonstrates fiscal responsibility. The plan must be updated every five years.
Planning for the New State High has taken more than a decade. Listed below is a summary of some key milestones.
Board authorizes its Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) for Facilities to prepare recommendations for a District Wide Master Plan. The CAC hires the architectural firm of Burt Hill, Kosar, Rittelmenn Asssociates to aid them in preparing these recommendations.
December 2001
CAC for Facilities presents a recommendation for a DWFMP. Included in this recommendation is the renovation of the High School campus.
2003
Board authorizes a search for an architect for the high school project.
March 2004
Board retains L Robert Kimball as architects and Poole Anderson as construction
managers.
February-April 2005
Architects develop four options for consideration.
May 2005
Board selects a plan that consolidates all grades in the north building by renovating (40%) and adding new construction (60%). The building size is planned at 544,061 square feet.
May-November 2005
Using 537,000 square feet, architects and administration refine programmatic needs
and building design and narrow the cost of the project to a range of $98-105 million.
November 2005
L. Robert Kimball and Associates updates the costs for the 2001 District Wide Master Plan.
2006
Plans for the high school are completed and presented in various community venues.
May 2007
Bids for the project are roughly $17 million over the projected budget. Facing the large cost overage, and/or considerable re-design, the Board votes to abandon the project and puts the 2005 DWFMP on hold.
June 2008
Board contracts with DeJong and Associates for a new DWFMP and high school Educational Specification.
October 2008
Board passes a resolution endorsing the design and construction of high performance school buildings with a goal that all buildings will be certified LEED silver or higher.
June 2009
Board accepts the new DWFMP. It includes a recommendation to, “build new or renovate/add on the existing site to accommodate 1200 students in each building. Consider construction closer to Westerly Parkway to decrease distance between the two buildings, with parking in the rear.”
August 2010
Board resolution on Phase II of the DWFMP. Planning to commence HS project within 15 months; Project will include a public referendum for debt.
July 2012
Board selects Crabtree, Rohrbaugh and Associates to develop schematic design for the high school
October 2012
Board selects the educational planning firm BrainSpaces Inc. to refine the high school educational model.
November 2012
Board approves the timeline for the high school project through referendum.
• June 2008
Board
contracts with DeJong and Associates for a new District-wide Facilities
Master Plan and a High School educational specification.
•October 13, 2008
Board
passes a resolution endorsing the design and construction of high
performance school buildings with a goal that all buildings will be
certified LEED Silver or higher.
• June 23, 2009
Board
accepts the new District-Wide Facilities Master Plan (DWFMP). It
includes a recommendation to "build new or renovate/add on the existing
site to accommodate 1200 students in each building. Consider
construction closer to Westerly Parkway to decrease distance between the
two buildings, with parking in the rear."
• August 23, 2010
Board
resolution on Phase II of the DWFMP. Planning to commence HS project
within 15 months; Project will include a public referendum for debt.
•2010-11
Phase
I of DWFMP; addition to Grays' Woods Elementary, renovate/add to
Ferguson Township Elementary, and build Mount Nittany Elementary School
• July 2012
Board selects architects Crabtree, Rohrbaugh and Associates
• October 2012
Board selects the educational planning firm BrainSpaces, Inc. to refine the High School educational model
• January 2013
Community Engagement Action Team formed
• January - April 2013
Community Forums
• May-June 2013
Randomized Community Survey
• July 2013
Board receives results of community survey and downselects to 2 concepts
• September 9, 2013
Board downselects to one concept
• October 2013- February 2014
Final concept presented for community input and municipal approval
