Elementary Level Building Planning

MAPS school

PROJECTED OPENING - START OF THE 2026-27 SCHOOL YEAR

The Board of Education and Administration work collaboratively to make decisions that positively influence the educational system. Efforts to maintain a quality program require adequate staffing, materials, and physical space. The following information addresses the need for additional space and better facilities at the elementary school level.

The Middletown Area School District existing infrastructure has begun to age over the last ten to twenty years. A detailed review of District-owned facilities revealed there is a need to replace certain facilities as they have outlived their intended life cycles. There are two educational buildings, Lyall J. Fink Elementary School, and John C. Kunkel Elementary School, that need attention due to their aging infrastructure. Both elementary buildings are 59 and 61 years old with many deficiencies that cannot be effectively addressed. The buildings contain many areas that do not adequately serve the needs of the educational programming in the 21st century and do not comply with ADA requirements. The facilities need to be expanded and updated to provide sufficient, functional space needed to accommodate the projected increase in enrollment as well as to enable educational and extra-curricular programs to flourish.

The future success of the School District will be determined by how the District invests in the foundation of early childhood education. It's critical that the School District be forward thinking by investing in and providing an adequate learning environment for all future elementary aged students. The information that follows provides further explanation in detail.


OVERVIEW OF THE MASD CONSTRUCTION PLAN

MASD is in the final planning stages of building a new primary school. The following changes will take effect due to the addition of this new building:
  • The new Middletown Area Primary School (MAPS) will house grades K-3 and will be located on the back of the current campus behind MAMS.
  • Reid Elementary School will be converted to a Grade 4-5 school. Programming will look more like a middle school where students will be exposed to subject area departmentalization for instruction rather than self-contained classrooms where one teacher instructs all subject areas.
  • The Administration building, which is currently at 55 West Water Street, will be annexed as part of the new MAPS primary building.
  • A new Operations Maintenance Building will also be constructed on the main campus.
  • Traffic patterns will be revised to handle the increased traffic flow on the campus.
  • MAMS and MAHS will have no building changes.
  • Fink Elementary School, Kunkel Elementary School, the current Administration building, and the current Operations building will be closed and possibly sold which will create revenue.


WHY MASD IS IMPLEMENTING THESE CHANGES

The number one reason for the District to move in this direction comes down to the future projected enrollment increases. There are multiple housing developments currently being planned or constructed throughout the School District:
  • Union Knoll (100+ houses)
  • Williams Farm (to be determined)
  • Woodland Hills (432 units)
  • Stoner Drive Development (110 houses)


Aging Infrastructure of Current Buildings:

  • Middletown Area High School - built in 2016 - 7 years old
  • Middletown Area Middle School - built in 2007 - 16 years old
  • Robert G. Reid Elementary School - built in 2003 - 20 years old
  • John C. Kunkel Elementary School - built in 1962 - 61 years old
  • Lyall J. Fink Elementary School - built in 1964 - 59 years old
  • Operations Building - built in 1973 - 50 years old
  • Administration Building - built in 1972 - 51 years old

Kunkel and Fink have outlived their lifespans. They are both around 60 years old and continue to need constant mechanical, electrical, and plumbing upgrades on a yearly basis. The Operations and Administration buildings are also in dire need of costly repairs.


Cost Saving Measures:
The District will go from maintaining SEVEN buildings (Fink, Kunkel, Reid, MAMS, MAHS, Administration, Operations) and reducing to possibly FIVE buildings (the new K-3 Middletown Area Primary School with Administration Building annexed onto it, Reid Elementary School 4-5, MAMS, MAHS, and Operations Maintenance Building).


Most Efficient and Cost Effective Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing at the New Buildings Compared to Facilities Built in the 1960’s and 1970’s:
  • MAPS (K-3 school)
  • Operations Maintenance Building
  • Administration Building which will be annexed onto MAPS


Lack of Current Appropriate Educational Spaces:

  • Classrooms and class size increases
  • Office space for itinerant support staff
  • Access to a quality education in an optimal learning environment
  • The new elementary school will house all the K-3 students throughout the District which has several benefits:
    • The overall theme of MAPS will have a tremendous focus on students working and collaborating with one another throughout the building. The typical classroom settings with desks in rows will evolve into classroom furniture and equipment that fosters student partnership and innovative setups for students and staff to work together as a team.
    • Classes will be equipped with state-of-the-art classrooms and facilities which will foster students’ creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking as they build their learning foundation for the future.
    • All K-3 staff will be in one building.
      • Aids in educational planning and preparation
      • Eliminates having to move from one school to another due to overcrowding
      • Keeps class sizes at manageable levels throughout the elementary years K-5


Safety, Security, and Convenience:
All K-12 schools will be on one campus.

Improved Operational Efficiency:

  • Having the operations maintenance building on the campus will save on overall transportation costs along with the ability to service the needs of the School District under one schoolwide campus.
  • In addition, the current operations building needs about 2-3 million dollars’ worth of upgrades in order to allow the staff to operate at full capacity.
  • The current operations building is located at 100 Industrial Lane.
  • The administration building needs about 2 million dollars of upgrades, which includes a new roof and energy efficient doors and windows.
  • The current administration building is located at 55 W. Water Street.


Community Investment for the Future:

  • This construction project represents a significant investment in the future of our community and is vital for the success of our students. By making sure that all children have optimal learning facilities to prosper and grow to their fullest potential, the School District is reaffirming its commitment to the success and well-being of every child that enters our District.
  • This will be the last major construction project for the foreseeable future. The District has built in contingencies that if the enrollment were to increase in any of our K-12 schools, the District will have the ability to add additional classrooms at each one of the four buildings to accommodate the increase in enrollment if and when needed.

  Act 34 Public Hearing - Proposed New Construction of New Middletown Area Primary School & District Office

A public hearing will be held in the Auditorium of the Middletown Area High School located at 1155 North Union Street, Middletown, PA 17057 on Tuesday, February 27th, 2024 at 6:00 PM for the purpose of reviewing with the School Board and public all relevant matters relating to the construction and equipping of the proposed New Construction of the new Middletown Area Primary School and District Office, (the "Project").

Please find the Act 34 Booklet below:

 3224 Middletown ASD Primary School Act 34 Booklet_with Floor Plans.pdf

CONSTRUCTION MEETINGS

The Elementary Level Building Planning Meetings, typically scheduled for the 2nd Thursday of each month, are held at 4:00 p.m. at Middletown Area High School. All dates are subject to change.

December 14, 2023
January 11, 2024
February 8, 2024
March 14, 2024
April 11, 2024
May 9, 2024


CONSTRUCTION MEETING AGENDAS

2023-11-09 Meeting Agenda
2023-10-12 Meeting Agenda
2023-09-14 Meeting Agenda
2023-08-08 Meeting Agenda
2023-07-13 Meeting Agenda
2023-06-15 Meeting Agenda
2023-05-11 Meeting Agenda
2023-04-25 Meeting Agenda
2023-04-11 Meeting Agenda
2023-03-28 Meeting Agenda
2023-03-09 Meeting Agenda
2023-02-28 Meeting Agenda
2023-02-14 Meeting Agenda
2023-02-09 Meeting Agenda
2023-01-12 Meeting Agenda
2022-12-15 Meeting Agenda
2022-11-10 Meeting Agenda
2022-10-27 Meeting Agenda
2022-10-13 Meeting Agenda
2022-09-29 Meeting Agenda
2022-09-15 Meeting Agenda
2022-08-25 Meeting Agenda


CLASSROOM DESIGN


Classroom

COLLABORATION AREA

Collaborative Space

Collaborative Space

Collaborative Space

MAKERSPACE


Makerspace

Makerspace

Makerspace

Makerspace




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