MASTER PLAN UPDATE OCTOBER 2020

The Springfield School District has continued to advance the high school Master Plan over the summer and is nearing completion of the building. Most of the building exterior has been completed, and the contractor continues to move the interior courtyard and front entrance of the building to completion. All of the classrooms and meeting spaces are substantially completed. Final cleaning of these spaces is underway, and final balancing and testing of the mechanical systems are progressing. Classroom, office, and cafeteria furniture will be delivered starting in the last week of October, and installation will be in November and early December.

The stadium and bleachers were turned over for use in August, and athletics and activities have been using the facilities daily. Event attendance is limited due to COVID restrictions, and the track is not currently open to the public. The District will continue to review and update its health and safety plan as COVID guidelines are updated and will communicate changes to the community.

Final paving of Rolling Road and Speakman Drive is in process, and final stripping and crosswalk installation will occur within the next 20 to 30 days. The parking lot at the corner of Leamy Avenue and Rolling Road is available for daily student parking and will serve as parking for athletic events.

The pictures included with the update display some of the finished spaces inside the building as well as some of the exterior areas of the building.

As we move into November and the building is completed, and furniture is installed, final cleaning and preparations will start to meet the projected December move date from the old high school to the new building. The move activities are projected for the last two weeks of December with a January 4, 2021 occupancy date for all students and staff.

Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the Master Plan project has been bid and awarded. Demolition of the existing high school and related site work will commence in January. Phase 3 work will start after the demolition phase and will include the installation of the remaining athletic fields, visitor bleachers, and construction of the District maintenance building.

In October 2020, the District issued an additional $17 million in new bond proceeds to finance the balance of the construction project. To date, the District has generated approximately $128 million in construction fund deposits that are funding current project costs.

  
Please submit any questions by clicking on SUBMIT A QUESTION. or contact Donald Mooney  at 610-938-6025.

Master Plan Update - March 30, 2020

Springfield School District Chooses Safety First

Limits Essential Construction to "On Site Only" Orders

Governor Wolf has permitted critical construction work to resume. The Springfield School District has decided to choose a deliberate and cautious approach to the new high school project. "Slow and steady. This is the approach with our educational platform during this time and will also be the direction with our project." said Kevin Keenan, School Board Director and head of the Facilities Committee.

The district will institute safety guidelines for the continuation of its master plan. "Over the next week or so, we will begin to bring our project back online. We are taking a cautious stance to ensure safety protocols are followed." Mr. Keenan referenced having construction workers to maintain a safe distance, remain on the premises, and sanitize the site regularly.

Mr. Keenan stated, "Since contractors coming to the site on a voluntary basis, we do not anticipate a problem with this mandate. Plus, they do not want to put themselves or anyone else at risk."

Mr. Keenan and the board agree that the continuation of the project is necessary to control costs, thereby, saving tax dollars and minimizing the disruption to students over the next two years.

Mr. Kennan added, "If the Governor orders school construction to stop, we will follow his directive."

The stadium field installation has been completed and crews are finishing their punch list follow up. The turf has been laid on the field and the in-laid lines have been painted. The final top layer of the track will be installed in the spring. The final fencing and stadium netting is continually being worked on, and the canopy installation along South Rolling Road and the stadium walkway is in progress.

The roof installation is near completion and crews will be completing the detail work over the next month. The window and glass installation continue to progress with most of the work concentrated on the South Rolling Road side of the building and courtyard.

Building crews and painters continue to work on the interior of the building. Painting and drywall installation is on-going throughout the building. Flooring and tile installation has begun on the northeast side of the building on the third floor.

We look forward to the spring as we continue to see the building progress into the amazing structure in which our students will thrive.

• Progress is continuing to be made on the new stadium installation
• Home-side bleachers have been installed and completing final punch list items.  Away bleachers will not be installed until after the demolition of the existing high school.
• The stadium field is being prepped for the installation of the field turf. Weather permitting – the turf installation should be completed within 60 days.
• Track layout has been installed and primary base paving has been completed. The final finished surface will not be installed until the spring and warmer weather.
• Building Roof installation is nearing completion and window installation is underway and making progress.
• The majority of the interior wall studding has been completed and drywall installation has commenced followed by painting.

Winter goal – have the building weather-tight by the end of January.

Crews worked hard this summer to accomplish the many projects that needed to be completed prior to the start of school.

Summer Activities

• Blue gym was demolished to allow for the installation of the new stadium. The demolition was completed in the beginning of August.
• The South Rolling Road expansion project was completed by the end of August. Portions of South Rolling Road will now allow for pedestrian traffic and parallel parking on both sides of the street.
• The rework of Speakman Drive was completed. Speakman Drive was reopened for student traffic by the beginning of the school year.

The building continues to make progress. The primary focus this Fall, is to complete the roof installation and installing the windows throughout the building. The goal is to have the building weather-tight by end of December. Work crews will continue to work on the installation of the stadium throughout the fall and winter months.

Review of Saint Francis’s Conway Hall and CCR Buildings

Concerns were recently raised regarding whether the School District’s high school construction activities may have caused damage to the Conway and Conway Conference Room (CCR) buildings located on St. Francis of Assisi Parish’s property. The Springfield Township License and Inspection Department posted notices of uninhabitable conditions on both the Conway and CCR buildings in late February 2019. Both buildings remain closed to occupancy and are surrounded by barriers to prevent the public’s access to the buildings.

The School District retained the services of the firm of Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. (WJE), a globally recognized leader in engineering, architecture, and material science, to investigate whether the School District’s high school construction activities may have damaged the Conway and CCR buildings. With the permission of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, WJE examined the interior and exterior of the Conway and CCR buildings.
Based on WJE’s inspection of the buildings and examination of other information available to it, WJE has concluded that the School District’s high school construction activities have not caused damage to either the Conway or CCR buildings, and it is unlikely those construction activities worsened conditions which may have existed before the commencement of the School District’s high school construction activities.

WJE also concluded that the damage which has led to the closure of the Conway and CCR buildings most likely predates the School District’s start of the high school construction project. To the extent that any damage or structural movement of the Conway or CCR buildings may have increased since construction began, WJE concludes that any increase is most likely attributable to a continuation of ongoing deterioration, creep deflection, and thermal and hygroscopic expansion and contraction, without any significant contribution from ground movement or vibration associated with the School District’s construction activities.

The School District has shared WJE’s comprehensive and detailed findings regarding the condition of the Conway and CCR buildings with St. Francis of Assisi Parish, so that the Parish, working with its own experts, can independently evaluate the condition of the Conway and CCR buildings and take whatever steps are necessary and appropriate to protect the safety of the community.

1. Installation of the building foundations and continued work on the storm water management systems have been the primary work activities since the start of the year.
2. Steel installation commenced on February 25^th and is projected to continue through June. Shape of the building will start to visualize as the steel installation moves along.
3. Contractors and District are meeting with Township and Septa officials planning the closure and future expansion of South Rolling Road between Leamy Avenue and Saxer Avenue. Work is scheduled to commence after the last day of school in June.
4. South Rolling Road between Leamy Avenue and Saxer Avenue will be closed this summer.
5. The demolition of the Cougar Gym is scheduled to start in June after the school year is completed. Preparation work includes the relocation of the existing bleachers to the Gold Gym which will occur during the week of Spring break (April 15-19).

The project site work commenced on August 15^th.  The initial work in August included installation of construction fencing along the campus and site work over the last two months included the removal of all grass, top soil, baseball field facilities and asphalt on the athletic fields behind the visitor bleachers and the bus lot and small practice field along Rolling Road.

During September and October, the site contractor worked on the storm water management basin along Rolling Road on top of the old practice field and prepped the athletic fields behind the bleachers for equipment and project management space.  Installation of building foundation footings have commenced along Speakman Drive (north side of the site) and installation of temporary utilities have been completed.  Over the next 30 days, further work on the storm water management systems and work involving utilities installation will continue.

On November 8^th the existing stadium and bleacher area was closed the public at the end of the fall athletic season.  The site contractor has begun the demolition of the stadium and bleachers and the stadium light fixtures will be removed and put in storage over the next two weeks.  Additional storm water management storage basins will be created under the existing stadium area.

The pictures below includes an aerial view of the construction site along the north side (Speakman Drive) of the work area which shows the building foundation work being completed and the project management area along the Saint Francis side of the campus.  The other photo provides an aerial view of the storm water basin being worked on along the Rolling Road side of the campus under the old practice field.

To Our Community Members:

The Springfield School District would like to provide you notification that the track and stadium facilities will be closed on Friday, November 9, 2018, as part of the continuation of the high school master plan project.  The project will take place over the next 14 to 18 months. The new Springfield High School track and stadium are projected to be completed by the spring of 2020.

The District would like to invite all community members and their families to come up to the high school on Thursday evening (November 8, 2018 – 7-9pm) to take one last walk or jog on the track and field prior to the closure of the facilities.  What a wonderful opportunity to share memories with friends and families of the history of Springfield High School and community events that have occurred here over the years.  

Please submit any questions by clicking on SUBMIT A QUESTION.

The Springfield School Board approved the construction contracts for the new high school and stadium work at the July 24, 2018 school board meeting.  The project work is scheduled to commence on August 15^th.  The initial work will include the installation of construction fencing along Leamy Avenue, Rolling Road, Speakman Drive and the Saint Francis Parish campus bordering district athletic fields.  Project site work will begin the last week of August which will include tree work and site soil excavation and relocation.

Please note the existing stadium and bleachers will remain in service for the fall 2018 season. All home football contests and other limited scheduled athletic events will be held in the stadium as scheduled.  The stadium and bleachers will be taken out of service at the conclusion of the 2018 fall athletic activities.  The district will be using Church Road Park for fall practice activities and some games for field hockey.  Baseball will also be using Church Road Park in the spring of 2019 for practice and games.

Please submit any questions by clicking on SUBMIT A QUESTION or contact Donald Mooney at 610-938-6025.

Please click on the link below to review the results of the contractor bids.

SHS Master Plan Contractor Bid Results

NEW HIGH SCHOOL RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, the Board of School Directors of this School District ("Board of School Director") has determined that a new High School facility is required for the use of the pupils of this School District and has authorized preliminary steps to be taken with regard to this school project, consisting of planning, designing, constructing, and furnishing a new High School (herein "New High School Project"); and...

Click to continue reading New High School Resolution

ACT 34 Booklet

shs master plan construction impact

In order to address any concerns regarding the SHS Master Plan construction impact, we would like to invite you to an informational meeting on May 8, 2018 at 7:00 pm in the SHS Auditorium.  The purpose of the meeting will be to review the plan for Athletics, Graduation and other educational experiences. The full letter is attached below.

Construction Impact Community Letter

A public hearing will be held in the Board Room at the McLaughlin Education Center on  Wednesday April 11, at 7:00 pm relating to the planning, designing, acquiring, construction, and furnishing of the New High School. A description of the New High School project, including facts with respect to the educational, physical, administrative, budgetary and fiscal matters of the New High School and other information will be presented at the hearing and will be available to the public from Wed., 3/9 until the public hearing, during regular business hours (8:00 am - 4:00 pm).

The Board of School Directors has authorized the following:

Maximum Project Cost: $137,456,328

Maximum Building Const. Cost: $77,306,303

Resident and employees of the School District may submit written testimony regarding the New High School Project no later than 12:00 noon of Wednesday, April 11, 2018. Such written testimony shall include the name & address of the person submitting the testimony, identification of the sender as a School District resident and/or employee, and a description of the support or objection to the New High School Project. To be of most benefit, a statement of objection should be followed by a viable alternative solution. Mail to: Dr, Anthony Barber, Superintendent, Springfield School District, 111 West Leamy Avenue, Springfield, PA, 19064. Electronic mail shall not constitute acceptable delivery.

Any and all interested persons may attend the meeting and will be given reasonable opportunity to be heard. Sign-in sheets will be available. The Board will call upon individuals signing such sign-in sheets in the order in which they appear. Commentary will be limited to five (5) minutes per person. No person shall be allowed to speak a second time until all parties commenting the first time have been heard. The Board will allow public comment and/or questioning until the conclusion of the hearing.

Written comments regarding the New High School project will also be received by the Superintendent at the School District's Administrative Offices until 4:00 pm, Friday, May 11, 2018. Such written comments should be mailed via first class U.S. mail or hand delivered (electronic mail shall not constitute acceptable delivery) to Dr. Anthony Barber, Superintendent, Springfield School District, 111 West Leamy Avenue, Springfield, PA, 19064.

The Springfield School District continues to work with the Township  to review and discuss the revised high school  plan submission.  The high school plan has been revised to address the issues negotiated with Saint Francis and agreed to in the Settlement Agreement dated July 24, 2017. In addition, the revised plan addresses concerns raised by the Township for emergency vehicle access and traffic circulation on Rolling Road. Over the last three months, the district has reviewed the revised plan with the township and presented to the Zoning Hearing Board and Planning Commission to address any questions and concerns and commence the land development approval process.

The meeting schedule with the Township is summarized below:

July 27, 2017 – Zoning Hearing Board meeting and presentation

September 28, 2017 – Zoning Hearing Board meeting and presentation

October 2017 – Township Planning Commission and Zoning Hearing Board approve modified Plan B Plan for the new high school. Modifications include changes to Rolling Road which expand the width of the road and allow for parallel parking on the Septa Trolley side and in front of the new high school side

November 14, 2017 – Board of Commissioners approve the revised land development plan for the new high school.

May 2018 – Projected date to solicit bids for the construction of the new high school.

Fall 2018 – Projected date to commence site work for the new high school on the athletic fields behind the visitor stadium bleachers.

The Springfield School District continues to work with the township to review and discuss the revised high school plan submission. The Springfield School District presented its high school plan and received approval from the Zoning Hearing Board on October 26, 2017. The Springfield School District presented the high school plan to the Planning Commission on November 2, 2017. At this meeting, the school district received approval. 

The Board of Commissioners of Springfield Township will consider the recommendation made from the Planning Commission for approval of the high school master as well as hear the review of the Conditional Use Application for the use of the stadium lights at their November 14, 2017 meeting. The meeting is open to the public. 

The meeting schedule with the Township is summarized below:

July 27, 2017 – Zoning Hearing Board meeting and presentation

September 28, 2017 – Zoning Hearing Board meeting and presentation

October 5, 2017 – Planning Commission meeting and presentation

October 26, 2017 – Zoning Hearing Board meeting and Presentation

November 2, 2017 – Planning Commission meeting and presentation

November 14, 2017 – Board of Commissioners of Springfield Township meeting and public hearing to review the Conditional Use Application for the use of the stadium lights

The Springfield School District continues to work with the Township  to review and discuss the revised high school  plan submission.  The high school plan has been revised to address the issues negotiated with Saint Francis and agreed to in the Settlement Agreement dated July 24, 2017. In addition, the revised plan addresses concerns raised by the Township for emergency vehicle access and traffic circulation on Rolling Road. Over the last three months, the district has reviewed the revised plan with the township and presented to the Zoning Hearing Board and Planning Commission to address any questions and concerns and commence the land development approval process.

The meeting schedule with the Township is summarized below:

July 27, 2017 – Zoning Hearing Board meeting and presentation

September 28, 2017 – Zoning Hearing Board meeting and presentation

October 5, 2017 – Planning Commission meeting and presentation

October 26, 2017 – Zoning Hearing Board meeting and Presentation

November 2, 2017 – Planning Commission meeting and presentation

November 14, 2017 – Board of Commissioners of Springfield Township meeting and public hearing to review the Conditional Use Application for the use of the stadium lights

The Springfield School Districts Board of Directors approved the settlement agreement with Saint Francis Parish on July 24, 2017. A copy of the settlement agreement is linked below.

Saint Francis Settlement Agreement

The Springfield School District and Saint Francis Parish continue to discuss the Springfield High School Master Plan matter. Therefore, the Zoning Hearing Board review of the master plan previously scheduled for this Thursday, May 25 has been postponed until a date to be determined in June.

At the joint request of the attorneys representing St. Francis of Assisi and the Springfield School District, the Planning Meeting scheduled for tonight, May 4, 2017, is being postponed to a mutually agreeable date in the future. Therefore, Springfield School District will not be presenting their plans at the Springfield Township Planning Commission Meeting this evening, Thursday, May 4, 2017.

Recently, the district was informed that Saint Francis Parish has retained legal counsel to represent them on the high school master plan matter. Therefore, the Zoning Hearing Board review of the master plan previously scheduled for this Thursday, April 27 has been postponed until Thursday, May 25.

On Tuesday, March 28 at 7:00 pm, the Springfield School District and the Board of School Directors held a Springfield High School Master Plan Update Meeting to keep the community apprised of developments in the process.

The meeting began with a presentation by Superintendent Anthony Barber, School Director Kevin Keenan, Executive Director of Operations Don Mooney, and School Director Frank Agovino. Following, there were breakout question-and-answer sessions with the presenters. In addition, question cards were available so that attendees could submit any further inquiries directly to the School Board, the Facilities Committee, and the District.

View the presentation .pdf for The Master Plan Update Meeting, March 2017

Read "200 pack hearing for update on proposed new Springfield High School" by Susan Serbin, via The Delaware County Daily Times

Mark your calendars: District sets date for Springfield High School Master Plan update meeting on March 28, 2017

Over the past several months, the school district has worked diligently with the township and our neighbors to understand and address the questions raised about the Springfield High School Master Plan at the Planning Commission meeting. From this mutual effort, we have been able to secure a newly designed plan, which we have labeled as Plan B.1. Although is not as optimal for the school district as the original plan presented to the commission in November 2016, we realize that the goal of this process is to create a solution that is best for the town as a whole. Therefore, please note that Plan B.1 takes into account the concerns of the community in terms of location to St. Francis and traffic, but still secures the essence of creating a prime, educational environment for our community.

In November of 2016, the Springfield School District presented a high school master plan schematic to the Springfield Township Planning Commission. The Planning Commission gave feedback to the school district concerning the height of the building, traffic patterns, and the proximity to St. Francis.

Based on this feedback, and continued conversations with the Township, the district Facilities Committee has been working diligently to redesign the original plan to take into account community concerns that were expressed at the Planning Commission meeting. Based on that work, the district has completed the following rendering:

Springfield High School Master Plan: Updated Schematic

Highlights of those changes are:

• The building design is unchanged from the original schematic presented to the Township Planning Commission.
• The plan moves the building west, away from St. Francis, as requested by the Township. The distance from SFA is now 140’, with an 80’ green space adjacent to SFA.
• There will be 363 parking spots and parking for 39 buses; all student drop off and parking is on Leamy Avenue as requested by the Township.
• This plan will create an overlap of the new track and stadium with the old building; thus the Blue (Cougar) Gym will need to be demolished / out of service for 3-4 years.
• We expect this plan will cost $750,000-$1M more than the previously submitted plan, but will still fall within the previously announced budget range.

UPDATE: FEBRUARY 23, 2017

Clarification on the proposed location of student drop-off for Plan B.1:

The schematic proposes that student drop-off will be located on campus at the southwest corner of the stadium, on the inside edge of the adjacent parking lot. Students and staff will walk from this location under a covered canopy to the building entrance.

On Thursday, November 10, 2016, the Facilities Committee of the Board of School Directors, in conjunction with the architects of SCHRADERGROUP and Perkins + Will, met with the Springfield Township Planning Commission to present the latest draft of their work for the Springfield High School Master Plan.

For more information, please see the 11/10/16 Planning Commission Meeting Presentation. As the project is still in the planning phase, all elements are preliminary designs.

Video of the meeting is available on SETV.

At the meeting on Thursday, November 5, 2015, the Springfield School District Board of School Directors approved the appointment of SCHRADERGROUP and Perkins + Will for architectural and engineering services for the first phase of the Springfield High School Master plan project in the amount of $738,917 for schematic design and land development.

For more information about SCHRADERGROUP and Perkins + Will, please see this summary from their RFQ.

On November 4, the Springfield School District sold the initial piece of new debt related to the high school master plan, the 2015 Series bond issue in the amount of $9,995,000. The bonds are expected to close in December 2015. The term runs until 2043, with an average rate of 3.39%.

Compared to original projections, this is anticipated to yield a savings of $850,000 in future interest costs, as the average blended rate for the issue was originally projected at 4.2%, and realized at 3.39%.

Below, please find a video highlighting the construction sequence that would be necessary to replace the roof on the existing Springfield High School building.

The Board of School Directors of the Springfield School District will have a work session on Tuesday, August 25, 2015 at 7:00pm, to be held in the Township Building, 50 Powell Road, Springfield, PA, with the Board of Commissioners of Springfield Township.

On Thursday, June 11, 2015, the Board of School Directors of the Springfield School District voted to accept the recommendation of the Facilities Committee, and proceed with the New Saxer proposal of constructing a new high school on the northeast end of campus.

At previous meetings of the Board of School Directors, it was noted that the Facilities Committee would commission an illustration depicting the Roof Abatement Steps and Sequence for the existing high school; it is now available as the top link on the Resources page of the Master Plan site.

The Board of School Directors will vote on the Springfield High School Master Plan at the School Board Meeting on June 11, 7:00 PM in the Stanley L. Johnson Meeting Room of the McLaughlin Education Service Center, 111 West Leamy Avenue, Springfield, PA.

The Springfield School District is continuing its research into and discussion of the Springfield High School Master Plan. The conversation was first introduced at the meeting of the Board of School Directors held on May 22, 2014. Both video and a .pdf of the initial presentation are provided at the links below.

The Board of School Directors and the Facilities Committee have developed a series of Town Hall Meetings to discuss the High School Master Plan with the Springfield and Morton Communities. Please visit the Town Hall Meeting Schedule or the SSD Events Calendar, and join the conversation by attending an upcoming meeting.

Recaps of each session, including the items presented and the community questions posed, are made available online following each meeting. To review past meetings, please navigate the page using the menu to the left.

On the left-side menu, you will also find the Resources page, containing additional research and supporting documents. There is also a link to the Springfield High School Master Plan's Facebook Page, and the opportunity to Submit a Question to the Facilities Committee.