Tredyffrin‑Easttown administration recommends repurposing 1200 West Swedesford Road for sixth elementary; agreement of sale executed

Tredyffrin‑Easttown School District Superintendent Dr. Richard Gusek on Jan. 17 recommended the district pursue the adaptive reuse of an office building at 1200 West Swedesford Road as a sixth elementary school and said the district executed an agreement of sale that day.

"The agreement of sale was fully executed today," Art McDonnell, the district business manager, told the audience. McDonnell said the purchase price is $15,950,000, a 2% deposit will be paid, and a 60‑day due‑diligence period will run from Jan. 17 through March 17, with a closing expected 30 days after the due‑diligence period if the district proceeds.

The administration characterized the Swedesford Road site as an attractive adaptive‑reuse candidate: an existing roughly 86,000‑square‑foot building on a large parcel with flatter topography than the district‑owned Jefferson Lane site and better adjacency to neighborhoods than some corporate‑park options. Architect Matt Heckendorf of Heckendorf Shiles Architects said the office shell could be converted for classrooms, seminar spaces and science labs, though he cautioned some facilities (notably a gym and full kitchen) would require additions or creative solutions.

Why the district is pursuing a sixth elementary school

The recommendation comes after the administration laid out classroom‑utilization pressures driven by steady, high elementary enrollment, a jump in special‑education needs and a district goal to implement full‑day kindergarten.

Dr. Wendy Toll, director of curriculum and planning, told the board that elementary enrollment reported to the state in October was 2,334 and that "as of today, we have 2,353," a net increase of 19 students. Toll also cited a demographer's estimate that moving from half‑day to full‑day kindergarten could increase kindergarten enrollment by a factor of about 1.3; she said that shift would add roughly 15 classrooms districtwide under current conditions.

Nicole Roy, the district's director of special education, said related‑services demand (speech, occupational therapy, physical therapy and social‑skills spaces) has risen sharply. "This year, we have a record of 100 students who are considering coming to school to our elementary schools next year," Roy said, noting that two years earlier that figure was about 50. She added the special‑education program could require about 26 classrooms by 2027 if current trends continue.

Financing and timeline

The district presented a preliminary budget comparison that placed the example total project estimate in the range of roughly $64.5 million for a new elementary under several scenarios; McDonnell emphasized the numbers are still preliminary and subject to change as site studies and bids are completed. He described a multi‑year funding strategy that would combine transfers from the operating fund (the administration proposed moving $6 million annually into the capital fund in planning years) and bond issues for the remainder.

McDonnell said the district projects an annual operating cost for an additional elementary of about $8 million and estimated that an aggressive but feasible schedule could open a new school in the 2027–28 school year if approvals and development proceed on schedule.

What the board and administration said next

Gusek and staff emphasized the recommendation is conditional: the administration said it would conduct environmental and facility testing during the 60‑day due‑diligence window and that approvals from township authorities (including possible traffic or zoning steps) will be required.

The district also reviewed two district‑owned alternatives — a smaller First Avenue site in Berwyn (about 8.5 acres) and a larger but steeper Jefferson Lane parcel in Chesterbrook (about 15.4 acres). Administration explained both have limitations and that Jefferson Lane carries deed‑restriction history tied to its original dedication for a school site.

Public reaction and questions

About a dozen residents spoke in a five‑minute‑each public‑comment period. Supporters praised the environmental merit of reusing an office building and said full‑day kindergarten would reduce childcare costs for families. Several residents asked for additional financial detail, stress‑testing of interest‑rate and bond assumptions, and clearer redistricting scenarios showing which neighborhoods would attend a new school. One resident asked whether eminent domain had been considered; solicitor Ken Roos said the district had considered options and chose negotiation and purchase, and declined to discuss negotiations in detail.

Board next steps

The board held the Jan. 17 session as an informational priority discussion and allowed public comment; no final vote to authorize construction was taken that night. The administration said it would pursue due diligence on the Swedesford Road purchase agreement during the next 60 days and return to the board with study results, updated cost estimates and recommended next steps.

The district listed upcoming meetings for continued public discussion, including a regular board meeting scheduled for Jan. 22, 2024, and committee meetings on finance and facilities where additional analysis and public input will be available.