State College school board approves site for the new Park Forest Middle School

Editor’s note: This story has been updated after the March 25 school board meeting.

State College Area will build a new Park Forest Middle School building across from the current location after the board unanimously approved the location during Monday night’s meeting.

Park Forest, which was last renovated in 1995, is part of the district’s facilities-wide master plan to improve sustainability, facilities and grounds around the district. The new building is expected to cost $89,452,214 to $100,512,766, making it the district’s most expensive building project since the $137 million State High project was completed in 2018.

At previous meetings, the district’s architectural consulting company, Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates, and the administration showed three options along with estimated costs for each project:

• Update and add on to the existing Park Forest Middle School at 2180 School Drive, costing from $77,976,892 to $95,742,903
• Build a new school across Valley Vista Drive, on district-owned land referred to as the “Haugh track,” costing from $89,452,214 to $100,512,766
• Build a new school adjacent to the current building on the wooded property along School Drive costing from $90,281,756 to $101,279,179

Options two and three would take around two years to complete with option one taking closer to three years of construction.

The administration recommended building on the Valley Vista location due to its remote location from students, the ability for parking spaces and limited impacts on neighbors. Construction on a new site could also be completed faster than renovations on the existing building with less impact on students.

Randy Brown, finance and operations officer for the district, said the Valley Vista Drive location had the most potential for the new building.

“It has the fewest drawbacks and there can also be some good cooperation among the district and CRPR, which would be adjacent neighbors,” Brown said.

The administration has not determined what will happen to the current Park Forest building after the new building is completed.

This story was originally published March 12, 2024 at 4:30 PM.