Audubon Elementary Update

Dr. Zerbe referenced his presentation from August 23, 2022 where he shared his recommendation to level the Audubon building and keep the property for future school and community use. He shared a brief history of the building including that it was closed as a school in 2017 and has cost approximately $200k per year to maintain. He shared that we were approached by Lower Providence Township prior to the pandemic with an idea to turn the building and property into a community center as a partnership among the district, township and private investors. He explained that, like many things, the pandemic placed that concept on hold with it being recently revisited among both parties and has not materialized beyond concept into a commitment.

Dr. Zerbe, again, referenced his presentation in August 2022 about two paths forward to either sell or keep the property. He also mentioned that we can take the process in a different direction by leveling the building first in order to eliminate the annual expense and allow him and his administration time to bring forward options for school use/benefit.

Dr. Zerbe shared a new slide that proposed a concept containing an all-purpose turf field, a 6-lane track, parking, and bathrooms along with a walking path, tennis and pickle ball courts, and a playground where the community and the school district can leverage this land as an asset together. He explained that it is no secret that our Arcola track and cross country teams, with well over 100 student participants, currently run around the Arcola/Skyview campus. This places our students at a disadvantage and challenges the future development, recruitment, and competitive nature of the Arcola and High School programs. This alone, surely warrants more review and consideration. He further explained that the fields at Arcola/Skyview are not in good condition and have not been for quite some time since the Skyview renovation. As such, they take on water, have dimensions not consistent with middle-level PIAA play, and while they are satisfactory for practice, competitions need to occur off site with limited ability to reschedule events due to weather cancellations. Having a multi-purpose turf field with a track would provide considerable advantages to our student-athletes and serve as an open location for our community. To fund this type of investment would require resources from the school district, the township and from private investors. Together we can turn this liability into a tremendous asset for our entire Methacton community.

A vote on the leveling of Audubon will be on the agenda for the board’s consideration at the November 22, 2022 meeting.

High School HVAC/Renovation

Dr. Zerbe presented an update on the proposed high school HVAC project at the work session. He explained that construction costs have nearly doubled since we last reviewed this project and, as such, a project that might have been $12.5 to $17 million just two years ago would cost $40 million today. This is specific to HVAC and the availability of equipment. In his presentation to the Property Committee of the Board, Dr. Zerbe shared that the project is likely to result in two to three years of disruption until complete. Whether the project is $17 million or $40 million, this type of investment means that there is little future change to the high school for the next 25-plus years. As such, when we take into consideration the district’s strategic plan and items that can address safety, security and people management, climate (HVAC), and aesthetics while accommodating academic programming with about the same amount of disruption, we should also consider the long-term investment impact. Dr. Zerbe suggested that we pause on the HVAC project to allow him to revisit the matter and these additional concepts so we can make the best decision for the future of this district.

More than 250 Arcola Intermediate School students have earned "M" Awards for Academic Excellence for the 2021-2022 school year. These students have achieved a 93% or greater grade point average. Methacton High School Principal Mr. Michael Bourdreau made the announcement at the October 25, 2022 Meeting of the Board of School Directors. Click here to view the full list of M Award recipients.