As Seneca Valley gears up to spend more than $100 million on a high school renovation, a Monday, Sept. 8, hearing will allow the public to give input on the project proposal.

Seneca Valley plans to make its case and reveal details at 5:30 p.m. at the Seneca Valley Intermediate High School auditorium, for a project that will connect the existing intermediate and senior high schools.

The project will include a new three-story structure that holds 39 new classrooms, as well as a new performing arts center.

The hearing is part of the Act 34 process, which requires school officials to present proposed projects to the public and set cost limits.

In a booklet containing project details that will be presented Monday, the district argues the renovation is needed to improve outdated facilities in a fast-growing school district.

“As student enrollment increases and programs such as music and theater continue to grow, the existing classrooms and support spaces are no longer adequate. Much of the building has not been updated since it was built in 1964, aside from limited renovations in 1991, 1996 and 2001,” the district said.

Submitted image

Nicole Sowinski

The district approved its maximum spending limits on the project at an August school board meeting. The building construction cost limit is $114.65 million. Meanwhile, the limit for the entire project, including costs after the fact, is $165.89 million.

Seneca Valley’s plans would dwarf what other school districts have spent on recent renovations.

Knoch School District just completed a $39 million renovation of its high school, while Slippery Rock Area School District is spending roughly $22 million on its own renovation. A Mars Area School District plan to expand its elementary school would cost around $24 million.

Board President Eric DiTullio said the district has considered work on the intermediate high school project several times over the past decade. He said it was on the district’s mind even while it was building Ehrman Crest Elementary and Middle School, another project meant to handle a growing population completed in 2022.

While some taxpayers have expressed concern over the proposed costs, DiTullio said the board has made efforts to focus on both the short- and the long-term needs of the district.

Seneca Valley currently has around 7,400 total students and DiTullio has previously said the district expects a 10% growth in size of the student body over the next decade.

“We’ve always taken a view where we don’t only look year by year, we look long term. That’s our responsibility as a board,” DiTullio said. “We’re not just looking at 2025, where we’ll be at 2035, 2045, and then watching what actually happens. We’ve seen these large increases in our kindergarten class the past year, for instance. We’re looking at where we have to be in the future.”

The district said in the booklet it conducted a feasibility study that revealed the exterior of the intermediate high school — as well as mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems at the intermediate building — are “beyond their useful life” and require significant repair or full replacement. This includes the roofing system, which has reached the end of its life expectancy.

The district also said the inside of the intermediate building is outdated and has “undersized” classrooms and learning spaces.

“While the staff has done a good job maintaining the facility, the 63-year-old building no longer supports the needs of a modern educational environment. To provide students with a 21st-century learning experience and prepare for future demands, the facility must evolve,” the district said.

In illustrated proposals, the existing intermediate and senior high schools would be connected by the new addition, located where a driveway with parking spots runs between the two.

In addition to a new performing arts center, as well as the demolition of a portion of the existing intermediate building, a new three-story structure would house new classrooms and science labs.

The finished project would also include a new front plaza with a pedestrian connection between the entrances to the senior and intermediate high schools and new space for pick up and drop off, as well as an enclosed outdoor courtyard next to the new performing arts center.

“The proposed project offers a long-term solution to support future student growth, evolving academic programs and a better connected secondary campus. The new layout would also allow for improved integration with the adjacent senior high school and help create a more unified campus environment. These factors support the need to demolish part of the current building and construct a new classroom addition and performing arts center to serve the entire district.”

In the district’s feasibility study, which was completed in January 2023, five project options for the intermediate high school were considered. They ranged from a full building renovation to a new building on the same site to a new building in a different location for sixth- through eighth-graders while converting Ryan Gloyer Middle School to hold ninth- and 10th-grade classes.

“The results of this analysis indicated renovating part of the existing intermediate high school building and adding an academic and performing arts addition offered more opportunities than demolishing the entire existing facility and building a new structure,” the district said.

Dana Kirk, Seneca Valley’s business manager, previously said the district would pull about $20 million from its capital reserve fund to help fund the project.

Seneca Valley passed a $180 million budget for 2025-26. Its fund balance entering the school year sits at $32 million.

The district said in its Act 34 booklet a bond issue could amount to $156 million with an average annual payment at 4.65% interest over the next 20 years at a little over $12 million.