Hempfield school board votes to approve middle school consolidation plan
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The Hempfield Area School Board voted to approve a middle school consolidation plan in the district.
Tuesday was the last chance for parents to convince the school board to vote against a plan to consolidate three middle schools in the district. The plan up for a vote would shift 9th-grade students from the high school to Harrold Middle School and send Harrold Middle School students to either Wendover Middle School or West Hempfield Middle School this fall.
"I'm very concerned about overcrowding of classrooms," one parent said.
"So many of your community members have expressed dissatisfaction with the consolidation plan," another parent said. "We would like our schools to remain in our local communities. And we want to see our kids' education prioritized."
In the end, the board passed the plan 8 to 1. The only dissenter was Tony Bompiani, who feels the high school renovation process is now too expensive.
"We don't need three middle schools," he said. "We need two, but we are in a large, large construction project, one that was set at $90-some million to $110 million. Now it's well over $120, almost $130 million."
District officials cited declining enrollment and expensive repairs needed at the school as the reasons behind the proposed changes. Some parents say they are not surprised.
"They are not really listening to the public because if they were they would have voted it down," Lindsay Stevens said. "It was almost a unanimous vote. I feel like the no was just thrown in to appease us. It's time for a change."
"I'm very disappointed," Laurie Hougentogler said. "I'm worried for my youngest. I wish they would have told us sooner, reached out to us. We could have helped them."
"The parents would have been a lot more receptive of it, but since we don't know how the redistricting is going on, we don't know the bus schedule, class size teachers none of that," Todd Slavin said.
The solicitor stressed Tuesday's vote does not mean Harrold Middle School will close for good. Once the high school renovation is done, a future board will decide the future of the school. The high school renovation project is expected to take 2 1/2 years.