New schools are in the works in Bellefonte, State College school districts. Here’s the latest
With students off enjoying summer vacation, districts across Centre County are using the time to plan and prepare for major construction projects and new school buildings. Here’s an update on what’s happening with Centre County’s newest school buildings.
Bellefonte Elementary
After more than a decade of planning, construction on Bellefonte Area School District’s new $55.3 million elementary building is officially underway.
The district held a groundbreaking ceremony Friday at the site of the new elementary school, behind Bellefonte Area High School. The district awarded the construction bids in May totaling $47.8 million, the latest step in the long-awaited project.
The new 98,000-square-foot K-5 building will replace the current Bellefonte Elementary, which was last renovated in the 1960s and no longer meets ADA standards or student needs. Construction is expected to be completed in summer 2026.
The groundbreaking was one of the last events for district superintendent Tammie Burnaford, who opted not to renew her contract when it expires June 30. The district’s new superintendent, Roy Rakszawski, will take over the position on July 1.
Park Forest Middle School
Preliminary blueprints and layouts for State College Area School District’s new Park Forest Middle School were presented at last week’s board meeting.
The district has been working with a steering committee for the past several months to help design the new site for Park Forest Middle School.
The new building will be across from the current location on district-owned land known as the “Haugh track.” The board previously discussed renovating the current Park Forest Middle School or building on the site of the existing building. They ultimately decided on the Valley Vista Drive location, as construction on a separate site could be completed much faster.
The layout includes space for several music classrooms, an auditorium, technical education spaces and a separate core classroom wing. Jeff Straub, architectural consultant for Crabtree Rohrbaugh and Associates, said the classroom section of the building will be separated by a set of doors for added after-school security.
“After hours you can have this whole sector of the building open for community use but really lock down the classroom wing,” Straub said at last week’s board meeting.
The project is part of the districtwide facilities masterplan and is expected to cost between $89-100.5 million, making it the district’s most expensive undertaking since the 2014 State High project.
One of the more difficult parts of the design process is factoring in the elevation difference on the site — around 25 feet of elevation difference in some areas of the site, according to Straub. Preliminary blueprints have three floors, with the second floor operating as the main floor and entrance.
Another concern with the site is the traffic and safety for students along Valley Vista Drive. Mike Fisher, director of the Physical Plant, said the district is in the middle of conducting a traffic study and working to find ways to help mitigate future traffic concerns.
“We are working with the township, there’s been a lot of talk about traffic calming measures on Valley Vista,” Fisher said. “We’re actively working with the township to see what we can do — whether that’s crosswalks, lighting, stop lights, signage, that sort of thing.”
A full design is expected to be presented to the board for approval in the fall with construction expected to start in fall of 2025.
