Bellefonte prepares to break ground on new $47 million elementary school

After more than a decade in the works, construction is almost ready to begin on Bellefonte Area School District’s new elementary school, following the district awarding final bids.

The district awarded $47,776,236 in construction contracts for the project during a special meeting on May 15, coming in just under the estimated $48.6 million. The project’s total budget, including engineering, permits and project management expenses, is $55.3 million, according to a Tuesday press release from the district.

Once built, the new building will replace Bellefonte Elementary, the district’s oldest building, which was last renovated in the 1960s.

The 98,000-square-foot K-5 building will be able to house up to 750 students and include outdoor learning spaces, a STEM lab and a media center. The site for the new school will be on the 107.6 acres of land behind the Bellefonte Area High School that the district purchased for $4.5 million in 2011.

The district has spent over $130,000 on architectural firms and consultant groups since 2016 to help get the project off the ground. In 2022, the board hired SiteLogIQ as the construction manager and KCBA Architects to help develop the budget and building schedule.

A groundbreaking ceremony is expected to be held at the end of May, according to the press release.