Jenkintown school directors partner with GKO Architects to form master plan for expansion

The Jenkintown Board of School Directors and GKO Architects are exploring options to create a master plan for a future expansion of its school facilities.

The expansion would include creating an early childhood development center serving children in Pre-K; creating additional classroom space for the high school; and improvements to the athletic stadium, athletic support spaces and sports fields.

More specifically, the Pre-K expansion would have limited and controlled access between this program and other educational spaces, which would require its own parent drop-off loop and also would include playground facilities. The athletics expansion would include a turf field, expansion of the field house, an area for the trainer, and an area for score keepers.

The Board of School Directors recommended to approve the proposal with GKO Architects and The School District of Jenkintown at its recent public meeting on Monday, Dec. 9. GKO plans to have a rendered site plan and floor plan by mid-January illustrating the approach for the expansion. More meetings and discussions would take place after this is accomplished.

To make this project work, potential solutions could include:

• Purchase of an adjacent property could allow sports fields to be reconfigured and space to be created near the current female locker rooms for an addition;
• Could construct a multi-story addition;
• Addition may be for an Early Childhood Development Center;
• Addition could be an extension of the HS to provide additional program space;
• May allow Sixth Grade to move to the Middle School to free up space in the elementary school.

Under the proposal, District offices may be relocated if this helps generate additional space in the existing building. These include the Superintendent and Assistant, Business Manager and Assistant, Director of Special Education and Student Services and Assistant (should be adjacent to Early Childhood Center), and the Direct or Human Relations and Curriculum.

Elementary and secondary principals would remain in their current position.

The proposal calls for GKO to receive an hourly rate of $9,500 for eight positions (principal, project manager, construction admin., architectural designer, interior designer, intern architect, CAD technician, and bookkeeper).