FOXBURG — Getting a $706,564 matching federal grant was almost like winning the lottery for the Allegheny-Clarion Valley School District.

Three years ago, A-C Valley received the grant called the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Technology Grant from the federal government.

"It was great for an area like A-C Valley to get it," said superintendent Pat Lukasavich.

The money paid for a renovation makeover that included a new library, learning support center, music room, nurse's suite and an additional wing with four classrooms, two large instruction rooms, a storage room and restrooms.

"Without the grant, none of this would have happened, none of this would be in place today," said Lukasavich.

In each instance, administrators looked for areas that fell short of meeting the needs of special needs students. The rooms could then be significantly renovated, both to meet special needs requirements and to improve their overall quality.

A library with bookshelves that couldn't be reached by wheelchair meant the opportunity for a completely new and expanded library.

R.J. Feicht, senior high librarian, said aside from the existing windows, "everything down to the stacks was paid for with grant money."

He said the 22 new library computers were part of the grant's $60,000 technology upgrade, which also included a computer lab and computers throughout the high school.

Lukasavich said every three to five years the computer hardware at the elementary and high school is either replaced or upgraded.

That is an overhaul of 500 computers connected via network through the two buildings, said Feicht.

"All the library changes were based on the disability and technology part of the grant," said Lukasavich.

The district's opportunistic approach was applied in the other changes too.

In the former music room there were risers that tiered off the different sections of the band. The risers were not wheelchair accessible, making the room eligible for a renovation.

Now the room is nearly twice its size, including two offices, two practice rooms and an abundance of storage areas where there were previously hardly any.

Lukasavich said for a district that has such a prominent music department, "when the kids see the expansion, it helps to get them even more excited."

The new learning support center replaces what used to be a cramped arrangement that shared limited space in the main office.

"It was in the front of the building; there was no privacy," said school psychologist, Joanne Domire. "Now it's an amazing difference."

The center replaces and expands the former nurse's suite, contains a large meeting room with a 10-person roundtable and two other rooms with a fax, copier, and a separate telephone line.

"We have quite a number of students with learning disabilities and must keep a multitude of records," said Lukasavich.

With the nurse's suite now replaced, the district knocked down more walls, taking the largest classroom in the high school for the job.

The expanded nurse's office includes two examination rooms, a restroom with a shower and three cots. It leads into a trainer's room, which is something the district has never had before.

With the renovations knocking down the walls of several classrooms and using them for additional space, it was necessary to build the additional wing.

Lukasavich said it was this flexibility that was a great strength in the process.

The district used money left over in unreserved funds as its share of the matching grant.

"It was a perfect marriage between a grant opportunity and unreserved funds that will last 30 to 40 years and benefit thousands of residents and the community," said Lukasavich.

While there were no significant changes to the elementary school, which has been in a new building since 1996, the district did plan on installing a security system by the end of the school year.

The $7,200 system would be modeled after the system at the high school that consists of a locked main entrance and admittance only after camera entry.

"There have been no problems (with security), but the district tries to be proactive rather than reactive," said Lukasavich.

The high school also converted a metal shop into a fitness center. It has two treadmills, three climbers, various free weights and two giant central machines.

The change was possible through a $30,000 grant by the Philips Fund, which is unrelated to the IDEA and Technology grant.

<b>Address:</b> 762 State Route 58, Foxburg, PA 16036<b>Telephone: </b>724-659-5820<b>Web site:</b> www.acvsd.org<b>Superintendent: </b>Patrick Lukasavich<b>Enrollment: </b>944<b>Municipalities served: </b>The district includes parts of Butler, Armstrong, Clarion and Venango counties: Allegheny Township in Butler County; Parker City and Hovey Township in Armstrong County; Foxburg, Perry and Richland townships and the Borough of St. Petersburg in Clarion County; and Emlenton Borough and Richland and Scrubgrass townships in Venango County.