Jim Thorpe Area School District Study

District Wide Feasibility Study

The Jim Thorpe Area School District is located in Carbon County 20 miles north of Allentown and 15 miles south of Hazleton, Pennsylvania. At the time the study commenced, the district had grown from a stable enrollment of 850 pupils in 1988 to 1,400 pupils in an 8 year period. Located in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, the district straddles the north east extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike and I-80 (with several new interchanges under consideration), the district carries a tremendous recognized potential for growth.

Problem

Although the district constructed a new elementary school in the mid 1970s, all other district facilities dated from the 1930s. All schools were located in the Borough of Jim Thorpe in the extreme southern end of the school district, however, development had shifted the population center to two townships located 10 to 15 miles north of the Borough. It was in these areas that further growth was expected. Recognizing the need for facilities upgrades, the district commissioned a master planning study in 1992 which was vigorously debated, led to the purchase of several parcels of land, but did not result on a consensus as to the best course of action. By the time Mr. McKissick was retained to undertake a fresh planning effort in 1995, over 30% of the district’s pupils were being housed in modular classrooms and open discord in the community had resulted in auditoriums filled with angry taxpayers and several lawsuits. Divisions between the newest residents in the recently developed northern end of the district and long term residents of the 180 year old Jim Thorpe community had arisen over the gain or loss of the high school building.

Process

To address the community’s concerns, Vern McKissick, as partner in charge of the Harrisburg office of Hayes Large Architects, implemented a three-phase study process that resulted in a community consensus. Key to the process was the establishment of a Board Building Committee of the whole to work directly with the architect. All meetings were held with extensive public scrutiny at well publicized and well attended sessions. Specific initiatives were undertaken in conjunction with the local cable television company to provide for broadcasting of the study process on a district-wide basis. The options included limited evaluations of a new high school with of varying grade configurations versus the renovation and expansion of the existing high school. First, Mr. McKissick, working with district staff, developed a model curriculum plan and educational specification, then applied them against the options being considered by the district (including the evaluation of possible new building sites). This approach ultimately broke the deadlock on the Board and resulted in a 7-2 vote to proceed with a building program.

Solution

The ultimate solution developed by Mr. McKissick provided for the re-alignment of the district’s grade level structure to provide for: a new $9,000,000 K-8 center to be built in the northern area of the district, conversion of the present elementary school into a second K-8 center for the Borough of Jim Thorpe, and a $22,000,000 renovation and expansion of the present high school building to accommodate an initial population of 900 pupils, with core support facilities sized for 1,400. The present junior high school was to be closed and converted to district administration offices, with the vacated space converted for classroom use.