Residents push back on Seneca Valley’s $165M renovation project
JACKSON TWP — Seneca Valley School District laid out its argument for a nine-figure renovation at an state-mandated Act 34 hearing Monday, Sept, 8, and was met with pushback from local residents.
About 50 people attended the hearing, required by state law. Under Act 34, districts have to set cost limits for certain projects. Seneca Valley’s maximum project cost for the proposal is $165.81 million, while maximum building construction cost is $114.65 million.
The district presented a proposed renovation of its secondary campus at the hearing, which will include a new three-story structure with 39 classrooms, as well as a new performing arts center. The renovation will connect the senior and intermediate high school buildings while demolishing part of the existing intermediate high school.
The cost of the proposed renovation evoked pushback from residents in attendance during the public comment portion of the meeting.
“You have to look at the people who live in these towns that are on a fixed income. There’s got to be other options than to spend that much money,” Bob Budney, a Zelienople resident, said. “It’s just unbelievable that we would even consider such a project.”
The district’s proposal would significantly outspend other similar projects. The district spent $63 million to build Ehrman Crest Elementary and Middle School, completed in 2022. Meanwhile, Slippery Rock Area School District currently is renovating its high school for roughly $29 million. Knoch Area School District just finished a $39 million renovation of its high school.
“Taxpayers have been footing the bills for years, adding to this school, that school, you keep adding, it’s never ending,” Cathy Rape, mayor of Harmony, said. “Salaries, insurance, utilities will keep rising, and some of us are tired of paying for every whim that a student, or parent, or school board member might have.”
According to prepared documents in the days and weeks leading up to the presentation, the total millage impact of the project on taxpayers will be 11.43 mills.
“This $165 million project is the single most expensive public project in Butler County,” Jack McMillan, former Butler County controller, said. “Seneca Valley’s existing $97 million of outstanding debt is already the highest of any school district in Butler. This action, if not tabled, will increase its debt to over a quarter-billion dollars. That amounts to $11,000 for each and every household in Seneca Valley School District.”
School board president Eric DiTullio has said the renovation is part of a long-term vision that provides students with modern learning spaces while handling a growing population. But the cost has been a sticking point for some.
“I understand Seneca’s growing, and I support it. The growth is necessary. But growth should never come at the expense of fairness and opportunity for all students,” Julie Jones, a Zelienople resident, said. “Students are being told through recent decisions that their education and their futures matter less than shiny new buildings and costly renovations.”
Jeremy Dwyer, an architect with CannonDesign, told residents the project has been in the making for several years. The district conducted a facilities assessment review of the campus in 2021, going through its buildings and determining what needed to be done for the school buildings and students. The result, he said, was a need for upgrades of the intermediate building.
“Some of our high-level bullet points are: an aging facility, current space limitations for educational needs, safety and security, and looking at trying to integrate the campus,” Dwyer said.
Dwyer said the district considered five options for its campus: a full intermediate building renovation; a scaled-down renovation with some new additions; a partial renovation with the demolition of a portion of the existing building; a brand new building on the same site; and a new sixth- to eighth-grade building on a different site while converting Ryan Gloyer Middle School into a ninth- and 10th-grade building.
The school’s choice, option three, will include the partial renovation of the intermediate building, the demolition of existing classrooms, a new addition with new learning spaces, and connecting the intermediate and senior high schools.
“One of the defining needs that came from the study was students currently have to go outside to get from the 9-10 building to the senior building, that’s one of the needs we want to address,” Dwyer said.
