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 Growth, and its accompanying challenges and opportunities, is the primary issue facing the Spring-Ford School District, members of the Spring-Ford and Perkiomen Valley chambers of commerce learned at a recent legislative affairs luncheon.
“Believe it or not,” said Spring-Ford School District Superintendent Dr. Marsha Hurda, “today Spring-Ford has 7600 students, which makes it the second largest in Montgomery County, second only to North Penn.”
She noted that the estimated student population by the 2011-2012 school year is 9500.
The question Spring-Ford must answer, she noted, is “how are we going to keep up?”
Spring-Ford has completed seven building projects in the last five years, either renovations or new construction, and several more are planned. Last fall, the district opened its seventh elementary school, Evans Elementary, in Limerick Township. The school is designed for 850 students.
The largest grade in the district right now is second grade, she said, with about 700 children. Looking at the district’s facilities, officials realized that when these children reach the high school level, that building will not be large enough.
The first phase in addressing those space needs will be a 28-classroom addition at the high school, at a cost of about $38 million. “That is absolutely essential,” Hurda remarked.
The second phase will be looking at fifth to eighth grades, she added. “We have the most unusual configuration you could imagine,” she commented. Spring-Ford’s elementary schools house kindergarten to fourth grades. After that, students move on to the 5-6 building, then seventh grade building, eighth grade building and ninth grade center.
The single grade buildings came about because that was the best use the district could make of the buildings it already had, thereby being fiscally responsible.
To address the future needs of fifth to eighth grades, she said, the district is probably facing another $37 million to $38 million project. In addition, the Western Center for Technical Studies, is preparing for a renovation project which includes a $19 million commitment from Spring-Ford.
The total cost of the anticipated building projects is about $100 million, Hurda said, and the district needs to get agreement from the entire community in order to proceed. The community needs to feel the building needs are being addressed in a fiscally responsible way, she added.
“We’re fortunate because we have had so much growth,” Hurda remarked. She acknowledged that the growth brought challenges, but also opportunities.
In addressing its programs, she said, Spring-Ford is working to become one of the top school districts in Montgomery County. Spring-Ford has a state-of-the-art engineering and technology lab at the high school. Spring-Ford also offers classes through the virtual high school, online instruction conducted in real time with a real instructor.
Another opportunity for Spring-Ford High School students is dual enrollment with Montgomery County Community College. Students take a course at the high school that counts as a three-credit course transferable to any college or university. Students are therefore able to graduate from Spring-Ford High School with nine college credits, she explained.
Hurda noted that 92 to 93 percent of Spring-Ford graduates go on to a two- or four-year college or technical school.
“If you live in the Spring-Ford District, I hope you share my pride,” Hurda proclaimed. She said the district is “near the tipping point to move Spring-Ford from a good district to a great one.”
Also speaking at the luncheon were Dr. Edwin Coyle, interim superintendent of Perkiomen Valley School District, and Dr. Barbara Stevenson, acting superintendent of Methacton School District.
Held at Spring-Ford Country Club, the luncheon was sponsored by Comcast as part of its Public Affairs series.
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