School board explores pair of middle school renovation options

Project slated to start in October 2019

The Mars Area school board was presented two options for renovating the district’s 48-year-old middle school at its work session Tuesday.

The first option, pres e n t e d by Matthew Hansen, an associate and project manager at IKM Architecture of Pittsburgh, renovates and reorganizes the educational wing of the one-story building to bring in more natural light.

Currently, 18 classrooms do not have natural light.

This option would renovate 60 percent of the building, leaving the gym, cafeteria and music areas with minor repairs. It would cost between $12 million and $14 million.

The major disadvantage is logistical, including “significant phasing,” and construction site congestion, Mr. Hansen said.

This option also would require the loss of two classrooms as more open spaces are constructed to make use of natural light. There will still be rooms without access to natural light.

Mr. Hansen’s second option is to construct a threestory “academic wing” at the school.

“We have to be vertical because we are landlocked on that site,” he said.

The “core elements” such as the gym, cafeteria and performing arts areas, would remain, but the addition would be built next to that section.

That will allow for classes to continue in the existing classrooms, minimizing disruptions to students and staff, Mr. Hansen said.

The addition would include 80,000 square feet of academic space, including a new applied engineering space, new family and consumer science labs and a student commons area. There also would be outdoor terraces.

When the addition is completed, the former classroom areas can be demolished for additional parking and a student drop-off area away from bus traffic.

The cost of the work is estimated at $20 million to $22 million.

For either option, the project would start in October 2019 and take 14 months to complete.

Board president J. Dayle Ferguson said officials have met with their bond counsel and will be discussing the finances of both options. She said they plan to make a decision in March.

In other business, the board approved a memorandum of agreement with Pine-Richland School District that will allow Mars Area students, including those who are homeschooled or in cyber school, to join the PineRichland Junior ROTC program.