Consultants present middle-school conversion options for Sharon Hill and Darby Township, estimate $28M–$45M for new middle school

Lisonbee Klinger and Kevin Goodall of GKO presented updated capital-planning scenarios to the Southeast Delco School District board on May 21, outlining options for returning to a middle-school model and updating the aging Sharon Hill facility.

Klinger said the firm's 2022 planning broke into three parts: routine infrastructure upkeep, a targeted improvement for Sharon Hill, and evaluating whether the district should adopt a middle-school (6'8 or 7'8) model. "The goal was keeping students in a safe, comfortable learning environment," she said, and the planning also considered moving kindergarten back into elementary schools if the district changes configuration.

Goodall summarized four scenarios (labeled D1'D4) that center on converting Darby Township into a middle school and vary how Sharon Hill and the district's elementary schools would be configured. "All of the D options look at converting Darby Township into a middle school," he said, and the options would change elementary utilizations and require redistricting in some plans.

The consultants provided preliminary cost estimates. Remaining infrastructure items (roofs, windows, HVAC, toilet room renovations) were estimated at about $23,400,000. A two'story rebuild and partial demolition at Sharon Hill was estimated at about $47,500,000. Construction of a new middle school was estimated to range from approximately $28,000,000 to $45,000,000 depending on whether it serves two or three grades and the level of amenities included. Goodall noted those figures were updated from 2022 for inflation, include soft costs and a 10% contingency.

Klinger described instructional and operational advantages of a consolidated middle-school model, including easier coordination of upper-grade curriculum, expanded elective offerings (foreign language, music, tech-ed), stronger extracurricular programs and reduced busing complexity. "If they were brought together in a middle-school environment, they could be implemented in a much more significant way," she said.

Board members asked for additional configurations, including a suggestion to go "bolder" and consolidate more functions on a single campus. Mr. Ridley asked whether the district should consider rebuilding a larger campus rather than incremental changes. The consultants said they had modeled similar options for Sharon Hill but cited disadvantages: higher cost, competition for athletic fields adjacent to the high school, and potential overbuilding that would reduce the district's flexibility to balance elementary utilization.

The firm and the board agreed on next steps: GKO will provide additional configuration options and cost estimates, including alternatives the board specifically requested, so the district can weigh redistricting implications, transportation impacts and trade-offs between building size and utilization.

The presentation concluded with the consultants inviting further questions and the board thanking them; no formal vote was taken on any option.