Changing Times
BUFFALO TWP — A full competition gym, a state-of-the-art TV studio and a technology-driven library are just a few of the amenities that the Freeport Middle School building will have when it opens this fall.
It’s been a long time in the making for the Freeport School District. A lot of preparation went into deciding to construct the $33 million building in Buffalo Township, adjacent to the high school.
Deciding the location was simple, since land was available and it’s in a central location.
“This is the most populous area of the district; 65 percent of our population lives in Buffalo Township,” said Todd O’Shell, district spokesman and athletic director. “Plus, we had the acreage. We didn’t have to acquire additional land to build something. So the land was here for us to use.”
The current junior high school in Freeport Borough was built in the 1920s.
“It’s no secret that I think we’re beyond its use,” said Larry Robb, district program director, although he admitted not everyone agrees.
“We’re really limited in space at the junior high. There really isn’t anywhere to expand. We’re kind of landlocked,” he said. “There are some space issues down there currently, with the way we offer some of our classes. Renovating a building that’s 90 years old really doesn’t make a lot of sense.”
The junior high, along with the kindergarten center, also in Freeport, are to close at the end of the academic year if the school board formally approves the plan in June.
Middle school construction began in July. It includes 26 classrooms, three computer labs and other features, like schoolwide wireless Internet. Teachers and faculty have provided input for architects, optimizing use, too.And a full-competition gym is a big plus for the district, since high school varsity games will be played at the middle school.“There will be more seating capacity, a wider layout,” O’Shell said. “It’s a definite upgrade over what we have right now.”A mere 600 feet separates the high school and middle school so the district can be more efficient, too.“We’re going to be able to share staff more efficiently. We do share some staff now, but to go from here down to the junior high during the school day creates some travel time issues,” Robb said.But with the new projects, some people have expressed concerns about what impact the closings will have on Freeport. In addition, when a new field is built, the district in 2016 will move its football games from James Swartz Memorial Field in the borough to the Buffalo Township campus.
At a public hearing in March, Casey Crytzer of Freeport said the district has shaped the borough for many years. Taking those buildings and the football games away without supplying a creative replacement can be detrimental.“Always remember that a poor decision on the future use of these buildings could impact the residents of the borough and this district in general very, very negatively,” he said.“They’ve been interwoven within the fabric of the borough and having them just be gone next year, it’s going to be a big void.”Daniel Lucovich, school board president, told those at the hearing that the transition is being handled carefully.“We’ve worked pretty diligently with Freeport Borough to find good uses of those two vacant schools,” he said.
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