South Fayette Schools begin expansion projects
The South Fayette School Board has approved plans that could ultimately lead to the construction of a new elementary school and the expansion of current buildings.
The board unanimously voted Nov. 26 to enter into negotiations with the Pittsburgh-based Hayes Design Group for a contract to provide architectural and engineering services for the construction of a new elementary school; make additions and alterations to the intermediate school; and make minor alterations to the middle school to increase the school’s capacity before the 2020-21 school year. The district is also set to negotiate with P.J. Dick, Trumbull and Lindy Paving, a Pittsburgh-based construction company, to provide construction management services for the projects.
The plan is an outgrowth of a districtwide feasibility study by the Hayes Design Group that was completed this year. The district has been growing substantially in recent years, with its enrollment growing by one-third over the last decade.
“Our enrollment has increased tremendously,” said Kenneth Lockette, the superintendent of South Fayette Schools. “We’re growing out of our buildings.”
With the exception of the alterations to the middle school, the projects would be carried out over a span of several years, Lockette explained. If a new elementary school is built, it would replace the building on the South Fayette campus on Old Oakdale Road. The current elementary school was built in 1970, and would be torn down.
A community meeting is planned for Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. at the high school theater to inform community members about the district’s growth and expansion plans.
The Hayes Design Group has designed new buildings and created renovation plans in the Bethel Park, Carmichaels, Peters and West Greene districts, among others.