Karns City considering demolition of closed elementary building
The Karns City Area School Board is contemplating demolition of the former Sugarcreek Elementary School in Armstrong County, which was closed at the end of the 2023-24 school year.
Following the March 10 board meeting, superintendent Eric Ritzert said directors are thinking about demolishing the building and converting the property into two soccer fields the district could use temporarily until the board decides its fate, which includes a possible sale.
He said the district offered the building for lease, but received no interest. The board also discussed selling it, but doesn’t believe it would draw much interest from businesses due to its location. The property is zoned for school use and is in an area surrounded by homes and farms.
The board hired AGX Inc. of Wexford to inspect the building for asbestos at a cost of $8,550.
Ritzert said there is some asbestos, industrial glass and fluorescent light tubing in the building that will have to be removed before demolition could begin. He said the board will offer the building to local fire departments to use for fire training before it is demolished.
Not paying for utilities at the vacant building would benefit the district and the lot is probably worth more money without the building that is with it, he said.
The Armstrong School District built the original part of Sugarcreek Elementary in 1953 and completed an addition and renovation project in 1973. The Karns City Area School District acquired the school in 1993, and classes started in 1994, when that area of Armstrong County became part of the school district.
Students who would attend Sugarcreek are now attending Karns City Area Elementary School, which was renamed from Chicora Elementary School and is being renovated and expanded.
The school board approved a $2,888 change order to build a canopy over the loading dock that was not part of the original plans.
Interior renovations are nearing completion with only a handful of items left on a punch list, Ritzert said. Now that spring weather has arrived, work on two parking lots, sidewalks and a new playground surface can get underway, he said.
With that project in the home stretch, the board is beginning to talk about renovating the junior/senior high school in three years.
Two-thirds of the high school roof will be replaced this summer. The board agreed to advertise for bids for the project.
Part of the high school building was renovated in 1995, but most of the rest of the building hasn’t been touched since the 1980s, Ritzert said.
In the fall, the board will look at planning a stadium renovation to begin after the 2026 track season. Ritzert said the track will be resurfaced, LED lighting will be installed and the home bleachers will be upgraded to improve access especially for people with disabilities.
• A draft budget will be presented to the board at the April 14 meeting and a vote on the final budget would come in May, he said. Expenditures for the 2025-26 budget are known, but the amount of revenue the state will allocate is not known yet, he said.
• The board increased the pay for substitute teachers to $125 per day. The old pay was $100 a day for the first 30 days worked and $110 a day beginning on the 31st day.
• The board voted to post and advertise a secondary social studies teacher position that will be open when the 2025-26 school year starts. Ritzert said a secondary social studies teacher and a math teacher are retiring, but the fate of the math position hasn’t been determined.
• The board also approved the Midwestern Intermediate IV operating budget for the 2025-26 school year. The district’s estimated share is $12,216, which is a decrease of $377 from the 2024-25 school year.
