$15.9M New T/E Elementary School Backed By Community

TREDYFFRIN/EASTTOWN —Parents expressed support for the Tredyffrin/Easttown School Board’s decision to purchase a 15-acre property at 1200 West Swedesford Road, Berwyn, for $15.9 million for a possible sixth elementary school.

The district is in the midst of a 60-day review period to determine if the site is usable as an elementary school.

Dozens of residents attended a meeting Wednesday night in which the district administration provided an overview of how the decision was reached to build a new school.

After the presentation, Katie Walter, a mother of three young children, said she fully supports the Swedesford Road project, echoing the sentiments of other parents at the meeting.

Board member Susan Audrain said the district has a right history of excellence.

“I look at this as a continuation of the rich history and I support this decision,” Audrain said.

Tredyffrin/Easttown Schook District is ranked number two out of 496 schools in Pennsylvania, according to Niche, an educational platform based in Pittsburgh.

Board member Kenneth Hong said there is widespread interest from parents for full-day kindergarten.

The district administrators and school board members have been discussing the need for a new elementary school for several years due to increasing enrollment.

The public review to determine if a sixth school was needed began in the winter of 2020 with presentations on elementary school enrollment. The district monitored enrollment and provided presentations to the public.

Some of the highlights include adding full-day kindergarten in all elementary schools and providing additional space for special education classes.

Dr. Nicole Roy, director of special education, said there is an increasing need for special education programs, and the district will need 26 rooms for special ed by 2027.

In September, the district began exploring commercial sites that had vacancies due to the work-at-home trend.

Dr. Richard Gusick, the superintendent, said the property, known as South Point 3, is compatible with an elementary school layout. The building is 86,000 square feet, which meets the building size required for a school and has good access space. The property has room to expand and provide athletic fields.

“The layout would support conversion to an elementary school layout,” he said.

The district also evaluated two properties that the district owns on First Avenue in Berwyn and Jefferson Lane in Chesterbrook.

The Berwyn site, the superintendent said, does not have access to adequate parking and would require eliminating existing playing fields.

The Chesterbrook site, he said, is a good location, but has challenging topography, and the road to the site is used by four townhouse communities to enter their homes.

In October, the district hired Vista Realty Partners to search for potentially usable corporate properties. Vista identified 18 properties to review.

The administration and the board members agreed that the Swedesford property was the best choice for a new school.