Brentwood Borough School District pitches plan for new elementary school
BRENTWOOD, Pa. (KDKA) — The Brentwood Borough School District pitched its plan to build a new elementary school that could cost up to $40 million.
On Thursday, the Brentwood Borough School Board approved up to $40 million to build a new elementary school. It will be designed to hold 650 students and address growing needs with special education classrooms, ESL classrooms and a full-sized gym.
However, the plan was not welcomed with open arms.
"Brentwood is not a wealthy community," resident Denise Riley said. "The average household income is around $53,000."
The district has two elementary schools open now and one middle to high school. The proposal for the new school calls for a four-story building that's more accessible for people with disabilities. It would include an elevator, braille signs and adequate clearances built by HHSDR Architects & Engineers.
"The issue I have is with the amount of traffic. How many of you drive your kids to school?" one parent said.
"We're just wondering if this is the right choice for right now," Riley said. "The economy is not great, people are really suffering out there with the cost of food. I'm just wondering how much the residents can take of these tax hikes."
The school district is making headway with financing by estimating bonds constructing a repayable schedule over 20 years.
If all stays on track, the project would be completed by August 2026. The school board is considering paying for the price tag with bonds that would raise the tax rate by more than 3 mills.