Local News

Penn Cambria seeks input on future of buildings

Facilities underused as student enrollment continues to decline

CRESSON -- The Penn Cambria School District is taking a look at its facilities after an initial feasibility study showed the district's enrollment has dropped and many spaces are being underutilized.

Board members and Core Architects are seeking the community's input ahead of any future projects that may be considered.

A public meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 25, at the Penn Cambria High School cafeteria, where district residents are invited to give their ideas of how they believe the district can be improved.

In November, Penn Cambria School Board members authorized Core Architects of Pittsburgh to conduct a feasibility study and develop potential options for the district's facilities as student enrollment numbers decline.

"What (Core Architects) have found is that, in all our buildings, the spaces are tremendously underutilized," Penn Cambria Superintendent Bill Marshall said.

Marshall said Penn Cambria enrollment was 1,803 students during his first year as high school principal in 2008. The district's current enrollment is 1,545, and Marshall said enrollment is expected to decrease 11% by 2027.

The district's current enrollment is 1,545, and Marshall said enrollment is expected to decrease 11% by 2027.

"If you have a building that could hold 700 kids and now it only has 420 in it, you're going to have empty spaces," he said.

Marshall said the district has incurred a $1.3 million budget deficit every year since 1994, when a bond was issued for a high school renovation project. He said that bond payment will end in the 2025-26 school year, making the district debt-free.

"With the loss of the prison and other businesses here in the Penn Cambria School District, our tax base can't meet the needs of the expenditures of the district," Marshall said.

School board member Matthew Kearney said the board will not make any decisions until after the feasibility study is complete.

"No exact plans have been made," he said.

Kearney said he believes there are a lot of people in the district who want Penn Cambria's football field to become a turf field.

"That's going to be very tough to do in a district like ours," he said. "As our population goes down, the state funds our school less and less, and we just don't have the necessary capital or borrowing capacity to just do that right away."

However, Marshall said there are a lot of upgrades the district will need to make.

"At some point, the board is going to have to do upgrades to the HVAC systems," he said. "Our HVAC systems have been an issue when we try to order parts (because) the manufacturer tells us they can't provide replacement parts."

Jordan Horvath, a seventh grade student at Penn Cambria Middle School, said he thinks this upgrade would be nice to have.

"I know in the middle school, the (air conditioning) is not very good. It works, but it's not very good," he said.

Marshall said another option that might be considered to combat a declining student population would be to consolidate the district's facilities.

"It's not a good setup when your younger students have three building transitions by third grade," Marshall said.

Currently, Penn Cambria School District has facilities in Cresson, Lilly and Gallitzin.

"In those years, that's new faculty and staff as well as new bus time pick up and drop off," Marshall said. "Those are transitions that are tough, and I think parents are starting to see the negative impact of those transitions."

Cresson resident Bob Nickerson said that, while he doesn't know what the deficiencies of Penn Cambria's facilities are, he approves of the district taking action to improve the health and safety of its students, staff and faculty.

"My only strong feeling is that none of the schools should be closed," he said. "If the heating, ventilating and air conditioning are not working properly, there's good and cogent reasons for upgrading the HVAC."

Marshall said Core Architects will likely present options of consolidation, new construction and athletic facility upgrades to the school board in June. The Penn Cambria School District then has five years to take action toward the feasibility study's findings.

If you go

What: Public meeting on Penn Cambria School District facilities

When: 6 p.m. Tuesday

Where: Penn Cambria High School cafeteria, 401 Linden Ave., Cresson