Bellefonte recently broke ground for the first time since 1961, welcoming the newest member of the district in the form of a $55 million elementary school.
According to the Lock Haven Express, the new school features a 98,000 square-foot floor plan, equipped with both indoor and outdoor adaptive learning spaces.
The project, led by former superintendent Mrs. Tammie Burnaford, is currently scheduled for completion by 2026. Failing climate controls, a poorly designed building layout, and relatively no wheelchair access have been driving factors in the conceptual construction of a new school. Although Benner and Bellefonte Elementary Schools were built at a similar time, Benner has received periodic renovations over the years.
“This is a momentous day for our district and our community, and I’m thankful for all of you being here to commemorate it with us,” School Board President Jon Guizar said according to the Lock Haven Express.
Bellefonte schools’ administration as well as school board officials are very adamant about the school’s potential benefit to the community.
“As a district, we are very proud of all the time, effort and energy that has gone into developing this project, and we have worked hard to ensure that this project is being funded with little or no tax increase to our community,” Guizar said, according to the Lock Haven Express when prompted about the potential cost to local taxpayers.
Although a new school has been in the works for nearly a decade, the full realization of the project has only recently been finished.
“It’s been a couple of years just looking at every possible angle of every possible thing we can do to make the best, most fiscally responsible elementary school we can for our children,” Mrs. Burnaford stated according to the Lock Haven Express.
The project also comes at a time when the Bellefonte administration is making the transition between sitting superintendents. Some speculate whether or not the school will still be within the original vision of previous administrators.
“Safe, secure, modern, utilizing all the modern technologies that we can to enhance instruction to everybody, our students deserve nothing less than that,” Superintendent Dr. Rakszawski said, according to WTAJ.
Although there are many factors going into the construction of the new school, the Bellefonte Administration is more than confident in its ability to rise up to potential challenges.
