Guest Column: O’Donnell Shares Updates on SCASD Facilities Planning, Expected Referendum

Editor’s note: Robert O’Donnell is the superintendent of the State College Area School District.

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by Robert O’Donnell

I am writing to explain the process the State College Area School District will be using to update our district-wide facility master plan. I also want to address inaccuracies stated in recent editorial letters regarding the state of the high school.

In regard to our high school, we have no unsafe asbestos exposures in our high school or any of our buildings, and the district strictly adheres to all asbestos laws, regulations and safeguards. Our high school experienced some flooding this fall. This was due to our outdated drainage system and an abnormally wet autumn.

Our board has started the process of updating our district-wide facility master plan, which includes a focus on our high school. We must do this to comply with Pennsylvania Department of Education’s construction requirements and to ensure our district qualifies for the maximum state reimbursement. The very first step is to hire an experienced professional design firm with the qualifications and expertise to lead the process.

After our board selects a firm, our administration will give regular updates on each step of the process during public school board meetings. We will also be sharing this plan in several public arenas and be posting the details on our website. This will ensure there are multiple opportunities for input from members of our SCASD community.

As we move forward with our planning process, we must comply with Pennsylvania’s Act 1 taxation parameters on public school boards’ ability to levy taxes. Specifically, the State College Area School District must take the high school project’s financing plan to the community to gain public approval for the project. We must do this within two years following the approval of an updated facility master plan. Prior to asking this question of our community, we will have our community consider several options and share their thinking in various ways. Thus, the district’s goal is to place a question to the community on a ballot during 2013.

We will look to our entire community for input into this process (including students, parents, staff members, other taxpayers, business leaders, etc.). These opportunities will be well communicated and provide a variety of forums for interested community members to learn more about the process and voice their opinions. Additionally, anyone who would like to share a perspective or idea directly with our administration can email questions or recommendations to facilities@SCASD.org

We are excited about the future of our district and look forward to engaging our school community throughout the process.