JACKSON TWP — Emotion was a theme at Tuesday night’s Seneca Valley School Board meeting.

CannonDesign’s lead architect on the Evans City school project, Mike Corb, spoke in detail about the potential plans the firm has for the school, including the big debate about maintaining the Evans City site or moving the school to a district-owned property on Ehrman Road.

As in the school board’s last meeting, many Evans City residents attended to discuss their concerns about their local school being moved to Cranberry Township.

There were a few emotional pleas made, including one that ended in a mother’s tears and another that painted the picture of a small town and its need for a school.

In contrast, another passionate point from the school district was that attention be focused on the lack of air conditioning in the Evans City school and the danger that poses in a heat wave.

Many of the issues citizens raised were related to the cost of the project and its effects on their property values and taxes.

Corb spent the bulk of his presentation summarizing the work done over the last few months and the conclusions his company drew for placement and design of the new school site. The work included a breakdown of the range of square feet needed for each specific purpose, such as offices, building support or learning areas, based on the number of people who would be using those spaces.

Corb estimated that the cost difference between building in Evans City would be at most $15 million less than building on Ehrman Road and at least $5 million, but other differences would include space for playgrounds and fields and a possible two-story versus three-story building.

Corb said the vision for the school, as determined by the Seneca Valley community in coordination with his firm, is to be a “sustainable, safe and dynamic context for learning that engages unique minds in diverse ways and is reflective of the community.”

Among the draws Corb listed for building on Ehrman Road rather than maintaining an Evans City school are about 100 more acres for development, which provide space to construct a field near the school, which would be sacrificed at the Evans City site.

One school district mother, Kathy Mahony of Zelienople, said the reasons for moving the school “outweigh” the option to keep it there as many parents within the district have already faced travel and transportation issues as a result of the location.

“It was an adjustment of everyday life in such a wonderful and large district,” she said of driving far from her house to pick up her children from the Evans City school when they were sick or needed to stay after hours.

Evans City Mayor Dean Zinkhann, who spoke at the board’s last meeting as well, suggested the Evans City school should remain and the district should build another school on the Ehrman Road site, which he said he believes will be necessary to account for an influx of students from further development.

Corb said he believes construction will take about two years from start to finish, regardless of the site chosen.

As of Monday night, the district still had not determined a course of action.

Board President Jim Nickel said he hopes to have a decision next week, but he added the caveat that, if the board feels it needs more time to come to a decision, it will take it.