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 Transitions were the topic of the evening as Spring-Ford School District Superintendent Dr. Marsha Hurda addressed the Spring City Elementary School Home and School Association recently.
“The topic on everybody’s mind right now is redistricting and rebalancing,” Hurda began. The district will open a new K-4 building, Evans Elementary School on Sunset Road, Limerick, in August.
With little change expected in the elementary population for next year, the result is a shift of students across the district. Hurda emphasized that the district is focusing on rebalancing, rather than redistricting, among the seven elementary schools. The goal is for all the schools, other than Spring City, to be similar in size.
Currently, she noted, Oaks Elementary School is the most crowded. Probably about 150 students will be shifted from the Oaks attendance area to Upper Providence. As a result, some who now attend Upper Providence will switch to Evans. Brooke and Limerick elementary schools also will lose some students.
The result will be that the schools will have room for growth where growth is expected, particularly in Limerick and Upper Providence. She added that with the changes for the 2007-2008 school year, the district should be set at the elementary level for 10 years.
Spring City Elementary School currently has an enrollment of only 137 students. Hurda acknowledged there is “a lot of attention on this school” because it is not being utilized to its capacity. “As you all know, the enrollment here is low,” she remarked.
Principal Will Cromley added, “We’re a private school in a public setting.”
Although parents and students may enjoy the resulting small class sizes, Hurda described the low enrollment as “a concern,” noting it is not very cost-effective. Therefore, the district will be adding another area, besides the borough of Spring City, to the school’s attendance boundaries.
She noted that First Avenue in Royersford has already been redistricted to Spring City. About 60 children are projected to come from the new construction along First Avenue, Hurda remarked, “Over time it may happen,” but not in the short term. However, the current rebalancing should not fill Spring City to capacity, since that would not allow room for those projected 60 children.
She said Spring City will probably gain around 40 students from the rebalancing. Hurda added that the down side is that “you are used to having class sizes of 12, 15, and that’s not going to happen next year.”
“It would be wonderful if we could get it (Spring City’s enrollment) up to 200 students,” Hurda commented. She assured the parents, however, “This school is here to stay.” The district never considered another alternative, she said.
“I’m so protective of this building,” added Hurda, who served as principal at Spring City about six years ago.
She reflected that the last time Spring-Ford went through an elementary redistricting, a lot of negative comments were directed toward Spring City. She said the district is trying to avoid that situation this time around, although she admitted some people would “never accept crossing the bridge.”
“I have to stand up and say, ‘It’s a great place and you’re going to go there,’” Hurda commented.
The superintendent urged the Spring City families to embrace the new families who will be added to the school. She also indicated Spring City will probably remain an “open school.” Any district parents who are willing to provide their own transportation can enroll their children in Spring City.
The final rebalancing plan will be unveiled at the end of January or beginning of February. In addition, the district now has to turn its attention to the secondary space situation, which will be critical within the next year or two. On Tuesday, Feb. 6, 7:30 p.m., in the high school cafeteria, a feasibility study outlining various secondary options will be presented.
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