New Ithan Elementary School Squeaks Ahead With A 5-4 Vote

RADNOR, PA —The Radnor School Board Tuesday night voted 5-4 in favor of moving ahead with plans to construct a new Ithan Elementary School for 750 students off Clyde Road.

The 60-year-old school has 470 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. The new school is expected to be constructed next to the existing school in the center of the site.

The estimated cost for the new school is $64 million.

Breslin Architects, headquartered in Allentown, will proceed with a schematic design for the new Ithan Elementary School.

The target date to open is the fall of 2027-28 school year.

The district’s administration recommended moving ahead with the project.

Board members Andrew Babson, Susan Stern, Bradley Moore, and Lydia Solomon voted against moving ahead.

Issues raised by those who voted against the project included the number of board members retiring from their posts following the November election, cost and size concerns.

Solomon said that half of the school board members will retire in November.

Board member Andrew Babson countered that an election is important, but it’s not a reason to delay the project.

Moore said he is concerned about the environmental health of students on a construction site.

Stern said the proposed new elementary school building to too big.

“We need a new building,” Sarah Dunn, a board member, countered. “We need a bigger building. There will be a big enough school to hold all of these kids.”

Dunn said the population shift is coming, and the district will likely see an influx of students just as neighboring Lower Merton.

Bill Dolan, director of operations, said the next step is to hire a construction management group.

"Our facilities are where the learning happens," he said.