Spring-Ford Area School District is expanding at a rate like never before and with that, the School Board has taken action to make the district’s infrastructure grow with it.
On March 23, the School Board passed Spring-Ford’s Capital Plan, which is a preview on what the district plans on doing between now and 2030 and how they plan on funding it. This edition of the Capital Plan brings many changes to SFASD, namely full-day kindergarten in 2029.
Districts across the country are increasingly implementing full-day kindergarten, as it makes arranging childcare simpler for working parents and allows for kindergarten-aged students to receive more education time. Here at Spring-Ford, this change will mean kindergartners will now have time for beneficial educational blocks like purposeful play, the addition of RamQUEST and Library to their specials schedule, as well as expanded time for math.
District officials also expect the addition of full-day kindergarten to decrease the cost of transportation with the elimination of the mid-day pickups and dropoffs.
The second change on the elementary level is moving fifth grade from the 5/6/7 Center to the elementary schools.
This move better aligns Spring-Ford’s middle school structure with surrounding districts, as well as districts across the country. The implementation of K-5 elementary schools helps decrease the number of transitions that Spring-Ford students will need to make throughout their SF journey.
All elementary schools, with the exception of Spring City Elementary, which finished a full building renovation in the past calendar year, will be renovated or have additions put on in order to fit the new elementary school structure. The work in elementary schools is scheduled to start around this time next year and continue through 2030.
The next change is closing the 8th Grade Center, which has operated since 1930. Eighth grade students and staff will move to the current 5/6/7 building, which will then become the 6/7/8 building. The existing 5/6/7 building will also undergo renovations so that it can fit the new grade structure. The closing of the 8th Grade center also eliminates another transition for students.
The 8th Grade Center is expected to close in 2029, and the new middle school structure is expected to begin in the 2029-30 school year.
The final aspect of the Capital Plan is redistricting.
Spring-Ford is expanding at an unprecedented rate so redistricting has become a necessity so that the district can avoid overcrowding in elementary schools. Committees of parents, board members and administrators will be formed over the next year in order to figure out what the best way to redistrict the community. Redistricting will take effect in 2030.
Spring-Ford’s 8th Grade Center has many memories
By Kelsey Bishop
The Spring-Ford Area School District recently announced plans to close the 8th Grade Center by the 2030-2031 school year. This plan aligns with proposed redistricting of the school due to new construction.
Spring-Ford’s school district has rapidly grown over the years due to the great academics and new construction in the area making it very popular. With that, the school has had to update and reconstruct buildings over the years.
The 8th Grade Center, operating since 1930, formerly served as the middle school decades ago.
“It’s sad to hear that the 8th Grade Center is closing,” said Spring-Ford senior Abby Bonawitz, who attended eighth grade in the building. “I was the last of my siblings to go through the building. But I am also happy for the incoming students who will get to experience a bigger and better version of what I got, and I wish them the best.”
Many students and staff feel similarly about the building, as the old structure brings back memories and nostalgia for all.
“Selfishly, I have spent the majority of my career in that building,” social studies teacher and assistant athletic director Alex Miscavage said. “I plan on retiring two-to-three years after the building switch, so I am going from spending my whole career at the 8th Grade building to moving to the flex buildings (5-6-7 Center). But I do think it will be a good change for the kids to be interacting with the seventh graders as well. Eighth graders have been by themselves for 22 years, being together is better. I will miss the charm of the building. It was like what an old school would be like.”
