There are more than 180 former schools in Centre County. Here’s how some have been reborn

As both Bellefonte and State College Area school districts move forward with the construction of new schools, community members are asking what will become of the soon-to-be-obsolete district buildings.

Bellefonte Area broke ground on the site of its new elementary school this June, with construction expected to be finished in spring 2026. With the new school expected to hold up to 750 students, the district recently held a Section 780 Public Hearing to discuss possible school closures. It’s expected that Bellefonte Elementary will be closed as it is no longer ADA compliant, but it’s unknown if it will be the only school closed once the new Bellefonte elementary school, located behind the high school, opens.

State College Area is also in the planning stages for its new Park Forest Middle School building. With construction expected to start in 2025 on the new location, no plans have been made for the current Park Forest Middle School Building in Patton Township.

With more than 180 former school buildings around Centre County, the CDT has rounded up some that have been refurbished or repurposed in recent years.

Lemont Elementary School

Lemont Elementary’s last students left in 2019, but it didn’t take long for the school to welcome back a new class. That same year, the State College Area School District sold the building to the New Story group, a network of private special education schools.

Lemont Elementary combined with its sister school Houserville Elementary in 2019 when Spring Creek Elementary was built, with both groups of students moving to the new building.

New Story School now operates in the building, teaching K-12 students with autism and emotional support needs.

Rock Hill School at Linden Hall

One of Centre County’s many one-room schoolhouses, Rock Hill School was restored and is now a nonprofit public charity and community center. Located in Boalsburg, it serves as a museum, bike path stop, and field trip spot for local schools. The nonprofit typically participates in Centre Gives to raise money for projects and repairs.

Boogersberg School

A former first through eighth-grade one-room school house, the Boogersberg School now serves as an important historical site for the county. Built In 1877, the school hosts an open house each year for former students, except for 2024 due to ongoing restoration efforts.

In the 1950s the school closed and was converted to a sculpture studio for many years before being restored and refurnished by Bob Struble and Susan Crary. The building was donated to the Centre County Historical Society in 2004 and now serves as a historical site and museum resource for local schools.

Gregg Township Elementary School

Another former school-turned-community center, Gregg Township Elementary School was converted in 2007 into the Old Gregg School Community & Recreation Center. The center now serves as a multipurpose space, with athletic facilities, offices and outdoor play areas. There’s even a functioning community library.

The commercial kitchen and the gym can be rented out to businesses or events.

Fairmount Building

The former home of State College’s Delta program, the Fairmount Building in downtown State College has sat mostly empty since 2019. Although some programs still operate inside the building, most have been moved to surrounding elementary schools.

Randy Brown, the district’s director of finance and operations, said, the district has not yet had conversations about the future of the Fairmount Building.