FAQs on Conestoga High School Construction Project

Conestoga High School Construction Project

Frequently Asked Questions

T/E School District has a tradition of planning for the future to ensure the continuance of a high quality educational program in a fiscally responsible manner. Three years ago, it became evident that District student enrollment was on an upward trend. Following a comprehensive study of enrollment projections and existing facilities, the school district developed a plan to enhance and expand school facilities through a proposed construction project.

1. What is planned at Conestoga High School?

A construction project is proposed to accommodate enrollment increases. The maximum cost of this entire project has been estimated at $30.8 million.

A classroom wing will be added to include fourteen general-purpose classrooms and ten science labs/classrooms. The new science labs will be equipped to accommodate the increasing integration of technology with a cutting-edge science curriculum.

Conestoga’s current cafeteria and kitchen area has been in place since 1966. An addition to the cafeteria will increase seating by 200. The kitchen will be renovated to provide more efficient food service for the students and staff.

A new choral classroom to accommodate growth in Conestoga’s music program will be added to the music wing.

Conestoga’s main entrance and school office area will be expanded and redesigned to create an open, handicapped accessible entrance. Changes to the main entrance area include a new entrance with an interior ramp and more office meeting space. The revisions will also enhance safety and security in the school by increasing visibility from the main office into the lobby.

The car drop-off loop and parking area along Irish Road will be reorganized. The main parking lot will be landscaped and reconfigured. The existing bus loop along Old State Road will be expanded to provide increased bus queuing. A parking lot that will accommodate an additional 71 cars will be constructed next to the gym to meet Township parking requirements.

Approximately 40% of Conestoga High School is now air-conditioned. The remaining spaces in the school that are not air-conditioned, mainly classrooms in the oldest part of the school, will be air-conditioned as part of the proposed construction project.

What are the enrollment projections at Conestoga High School through 2010?

School Year	Pennsylvania Economy League Projections	T/E School District Straight-Line Enrollment Projections (Straight-line projections predict future enrollment by simply advancing the current District enrollment 10 years.)
2001-02	1,597	1,608 (This year's actual enrollment)
2002-03	1,679	1,690
2003-04	1,746	1,723
2004-05	1,846	1,775
2005-06	1,912	1,805
2006-07	1,964	1,811
2007-08	2,065	1,860
2008-09	2,084	1,839
2009-10	2,087	1,788

What options did the school board consider to address the increasing enrollment?

Options to address increasing enrollment at the existing site without construction:

increasing class size,
extending the school day, and
limiting program options.

The school board also asked the administration to review the impact of:

rotating three teachers through two classrooms,
scheduling lunch to begin at 10:00 a.m. and extend to 1:45 p.m. over five rather than three periods
running a seven-period rather than eight-period schedule.

All of these options were rejected based on the negative impact on the quality of the educational experience of the students.

Conversion of Valley Forge Middle School into a high school:

The architect outlined the conversion of Valley Forge Middle School to a high school to maximize the use of available land on this campus. This option was rejected as not cost effective. The cost of renovating the middle school to a high school was $28,000,000 to $32,000,000. The cost of constructing a new high school on the site was $40,000,000 to $45,000,000 and the cost of building a new middle school to replace Valley Forge Middle School was $18,000,000 to $20,000,000.

Construction of a new high school:

The architect was asked to estimate the cost of construction for a high school of approximately 1,500 students. The architect reported that construction costs alone were estimated at $45,000,000 to $50,000,000. The District would need to identify and acquire a land parcel adequate to place the new school. The total cost was deemed excessive when the increasing enrollments could be accommodated at the existing high school site with far less tax burden in a more timely fashion.

d. Expansion of the high school on the existing site:

The Board recognized that building on the existing site would allow the District to continue to offer its high quality educational program while promoting the best use of District resources at this time.

4. What has changed in education since the 1970s when Conestoga High School accommodated over 2,000 students?

Class sizes were larger in the past than they are now. The school board is committed to keeping the current smaller class sizes. Smaller class sizes require more available classrooms to schedule.

The integration of computer technology into the educational program, and the expanded use of computers in communication have resulted in the conversion of regular classrooms into computer labs.

The implementation of state and federal mandates in special education have resulted in the conversion of regular classrooms into special instruction areas.

Conestoga has always provided outstanding preparation for all students in science. Science facilities will be upgraded to ensure that the quality of science programming remains at the highest level. The new science laboratories will be equipped to access electronic as well as on-site experiential learning opportunities, incorporate the latest science technology and provide additional space to meet the science standards.

The Conestoga music program has grown from 295 students in 1992-93 to 945 students in 2001-02. The expansion of the music department wing is designed to address increases in music program participation.

The cafeteria serves many purposes for student use throughout the school day. The design of the cafeteria has not changed since 1966. The renovation will provide an improved student serving system as well as enable the cafeteria to remain available for other student needs throughout the day.

The main office and lobby area have not changed since the building was originally constructed in 1954. The main entrance area will be expanded to create an open, handicapped accessible entrance allowing for easier access along with improved safety and security for all.

Expanding Conestoga’s existing facilities to include additional classrooms, expanded cafeteria space, and a redesign of the main office entrance and school office area will allow T/E to best meet the needs of the student population. The T/E School Board, district administration and staff maintain a strong commitment to providing an outstanding experience both educationally and socially to all its students, now and in the future.

5. How will students be accommodated in extracurricular opportunities?

The T/E School District will continue to support student participation in extracurricular activities.

Many of Conestoga's club-oriented extracurricular activities are determined by student interest. As the student population at Conestoga grows, the staff at Conestoga will grow as well, resulting in additional opportunities for faculty-sponsored student activities.

In order to sustain Conestoga's athletic program, the District will continue partnerships with both Tredyffrin and Easttown townships and utilize township field facilities. The District is studying the availability of land parcels in the two townships for acquisition to use as fields. The T/E School District is committed to ensuring access to athletic opportunities now and in the future.

Will the renovation at Conestoga end the discussion about high school construction beyond 2010?

The proposed project is intended to make the best use of District resources at this time and to accommodate student population growth through 2010. The District continues to study enrollment trends and will address future needs as they become identified through trend analysis.

Please contact the T/E School Board or the school district administration with any questions you may have about the T/E School District’s planned Conestoga High School construction project. The School Board may be emailed through a link on the T/E School District web site at www.tesd.k12.pa.us or by writing to the Secretary of the School Board, Mr. Harry Oldham, at 738 First Avenue, Berwyn, PA 19312. District administrators may be contacted by calling the school district at (610) 240-1900.

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