To that end, the school board commissioned an updated version of a 2022 districtwide feasibility study, which considered a variety of building closure, consolidation and renovation plans requiring a substantial short-term investment for potential long-term gains.

The proposed roadmap includes moving ninth grade from the junior high into the senior high building, some degree of consolidation for the district’s three elementary schools and a number of essential renovations across the campus, including a new junior high boiler and replaced senior high roof.

In total, it could cost the district more than $120 million to enact the sweeping changes outlined in the plan, to be paid through a staggered series of loans over the next 30 years.

The success of the plan will be enabled by the current financial stewardship of the district.

According to Whitesel, one of the high points of his seven-month tenure as superintendent was being able to add some funds to the capital reserve, which will allow the district to “fix some things that need to be fixed and repair some things that need repair within the school district.”

“We are very fiscally responsible in the past year. We were able to balance the budget and we came in right at our budget number which is great,” Whitesel said.

Whitesel served as superintendent at Homer-Center School District and Bald Eagle Area School District before taking the reins from longtime Hollidaysburg superintendent Robert Gildea.

“There’s certainly a learning curve. (Hollidaysburg) is double the size of what I was used to, it’s all coming together,” Whitesel said. “Our administrative team, as well as our board of directors are all in unison working toward the same goal: to provide the best opportunity for all of our students.”

Standardized test scores

As far as academics go, Hollidaysburg students showed improvements across almost all grade levels based off of their assessment scores this school year.

Of the 1,364 district students who took the English PSSA in 2023, 67.5% achieved a passing proficient or advanced score. In 2024, 66.9% of the 1,337 tested students earned proficient or advanced scores.

Math and Science PSSA scores both grew from 2023 to 2024, with 53.2% of the 1,347 tested students passing math in 2023 and 56% of 1,337 tested passing in 2024.

In science, 71.5% of 449 assessed students passed in 2023, while 75.5% of 474 passed in 2024.

English/Language Arts and Math PSSAs are taken annually by students in third through eighth grade, while the Science PSSA is for students in fourth and eighth grades only. Percentages presented are an average of all students across all grade levels who scored a passing proficient or advanced score in the respective testing year. All data is publicly available through the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Of the 146 Hollidaysburg students who took the Algebra I Keystone Exam in 2023, 30.1% achieved a passing proficient or advanced score. In 2024, 48.1% of the 212 tested students earned proficient or advanced scores — an increase of over 15%.

Biology remained relatively consistent, while literature scores dropped marginally over that period. In 2023, 59.1% of the 264 assessed students passed the Biology Exam, while 58.3% of 240 students passed the following year.

In literature, 75.5% of 265 tested students scored proficient or advanced and 72% of 239 participating students passed in 2024.

Students take Keystone Exams in 11th grade only.

Goals in sight

According to Whitesel, the productive relationship between district administration and the school board is “exciting,” and enables collaboration to solve problems facing the district.

“I think the biggest thing we were able to get done this year was getting the feasibility study done and get a facilities plan in place for the next three, five, seven, 10 years which is what it will take to achieve our goals,” Whitesel said.

While the board has not taken any action on the proposed master plan yet, having the plan in place is crucial in mapping out any future budgets and tax increases, he said.

“The most exciting thing is exploring, taking a deeper dive on the feasibility study and continuing to meet on a regular basis … to actually set a direction for where HASD needs to go,” Whitesel said. “Those are the exciting things you get to do — planning for the future.”

Mirror Staff Writer Conner Goetz is at 814-946-7535.