$15.9 M Property Sale Agreement For New T/E School Authorized

TREDYFFRIN/EASTTOWN —Tredyffrin Easttown School Board voted 7-1 to proceed to authorize an agreement to purchase a 15-acre property at 1200 West Swedesford Road, Berwyn, for $15.9 million for a possible sixth elementary school.

The district has 60 days to determine if the site is usable as an elementary school. The closing date would follow within 30 days after the review process.

The district is hosting a special meeting to discuss plans for the new school at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17, at Conestoga High School, 200 Irish Road, Berwyn.

Dr. Richard Gusick, superintendent, said residents will be able to learn about the plan and ask questions about the process.
“The decision to build a school is a serious commitment and we haven’t taken these steps since 1965,” Gusick said.

Board President Todd Kantorczyk encouraged residents interested in the issue to attend the meeting.

Board member Maryann Piccioni voted against proceeding with the agreement, suggesting a study to determine if the existing building on the property could be used for a school or would have to be torn down. Board member Kenneth Hong abstained.

The site

Gusick said the property, known as South Point 3, is compatible with an elementary school layout.
The building is 86,000 square feet, which meets the building size required for a school and has good access space.
“The layout would support conversion to an elementary school layout,” he said.
The district has been discussing the need for a new elementary school for several years due to increasing enrollment.
The public process began in the winter of 2020 with presentations on elementary school enrollment.
The district monitored enrollment and provided presentations to the public.

In September, the district began exploring commercial sites that had vacancies due to the work-at-home trend.

In October, the district hired Vista Realty Partners to search for potentially usable corporate properties. Vista identified 18 properties to review.

The district also evaluated two properties that the district owns on First Avenue in Berwyn and Jefferson Lane in Chesterbrook.
The Berwyn site, the superintendent said, does not have access to adequate parking and would require eliminating existing playing fields.
The Chesterbrook site, he said, is a good location, but has challenging topography and is used by four townhouse communities to enter their homes.
The superintendent said the district would like to have space for full-day kindergarten and science labs in all the schools.
Dr. Roberta Hotinski, board member, said the issue has been well-researched.
Dr. Yolanda Allen, board member, questioned if using the existing building would reduce the time for the construction.
Gusick said the construction time for renovating an existing building would likely be a few months shorter, depending on what is discovered.
Dr. Robert Singh, board member, said that he does not believe a better spot could be found for a school building.
“I look forward to the presentation on January 17,” he said.