New High School > Project History > October Information Sessions

The public is invited to attend two information sessions in October that will look at the decision to build a new high school, the timeline for the project and the financing options being considered. The Souderton Area School Board is currently finalizing plans for the new 2,600 student school with a target opening date of 2009.

Public information sessions have been scheduled for Monday, October 11th from 7:00-8:30p.m. at Indian Valley Middle School, 130 Maple Ave. Harleysville, and on Thursday, October 21st from 7:00-8:30p.m. at Franconia Elementary School, 366 Harleysville Pike, Souderton.

The information sessions will feature an overview of the new high school project by Jack Silva, Director of Secondary Education and an overview of the financing options for the new school by Stan Wisler, Director of Business Affairs. In addition, school board members and members of the SASD administrative team will be on hand to answer questions about the project.

Last week the Souderton Area School Board voted 8-1 to progress with a $103 million project plan (Option C) that includes 140 educational spaces, a three court main gymnasium, an auxiliary gymnasium and a 25-yard, six-lane pool. The current high school has 84 educational spaces, and a student population of 1,527 in grades 10-12. The school district plans to move ninth grade to the new high school creating a 9-12, 6-8, K-5 grade structure for the school district. The 2004-05 ninth grade includes 557 students.

The school board considered approximately 10 options before narrowing the viable options to three. Those three were debated and discussed by the board prior to the vote on September 23.

The $103 million estimated project cost includes the land purchase, construction, architectural and engineering fees and other related costs. The school district is currently negotiating with the landowners of the tracts of land in Franconia Township that will be the site of the new high school.

In addition to the information sessions, the school district will be holding a public hearing on the land purchase, and various other state mandated hearings as the project progresses.