Schnecksville Elementary renovations coming over next three years

When Parkland students return to Schnecksville Elementary School in the fall, they will find four new classrooms but the home for their once-beloved model space shuttle, the Blake, will be no more.The transformation is part of a three-year renovation project at the elementary school that is expected to eventually include new heating and air conditioning, new LED lighting and other updates, as well as greater accessibility in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The district hopes to do most of the initial phases during the summers to minimize disturbances to classes.On Tuesday, the school board approved hiring the architecture firm KCBA of Hatfield to provide architecture and engineering services for the second and third phases of the construction at 7% of the cost of the projects.Dave Keppel, Parkland’s director of school services, said the demolition of the Blake’s old home could begin this week but it should have little effect on students, who finish for the summer June 14.“It’s a completely separate area,” Keppel said. “The contractors can come and go without walking through the school.”The Blake was built by Mack employees and retirees who converted a former military transport bus into the model shuttle, which was used to teach thousands of schoolchildren about space travel. It included flight simulators, robotics and other technology used for lessons about space.But NASA ended its space shuttle program in 2011, and Parkland teacher Robert Boehmer, who led the school district’s program on space exploration, retired in 2012. So the district transferred ownership of the Blake to the Lehigh Valley International Airport in 2013. Keppel said the section of Schnecksville Elementary that once housed the Blake is tall enough to turn into two stories of classrooms. This year, the district approved bids for the construction that totaled $925,650, about $265,000 more than the district estimated. School districts elsewhere in the Lehigh Valley are seeing similarly high estimates as builders struggle with labor shortages and the rising cost of building materials. The original Schnecksville school was built in 1929 but the district built additions over the years.The second phase of the school renovation in the summer of 2020 is slated to include the heating and air conditioning system, the LED lighting upgrade, ceiling tiles and painting.For the third phase in 2021, Parkland will have a choice to make, Keppel said. One option is to bring the section of the school built in 1929 up to complete compliance with ADA regulations; currently the school uses chair lifts for those who can’t take the steps. The second option would be to raze and replace the original structure, he said. Meanwhile, at Parkland’s meeting Tuesday, the school board honored several students who had been chosen for All-State band, chorus and orchestra. They included, for All-State Chorus: Aylor Scandola, Ava Del Rio and Abigail Hill; for All-State Band: Alex Tang, Olivia Wilkinson, Megumi Takahashi; and for All-State Orchestra: Raphael Ettinger-Finley, Suchir Agarwal, Conrad Lee, Jacob Schultz and Coby Lindenmuth. Superintendent Richard Sniscak announced that Parkland was named one of the best communities for music in 2019 by the National Association of Music Merchants. Parkland was one of 623 programs chosen by the association, including 48 in Pennsylvania.The school board also honored Ga Young Lee, who served as student representative to the school board this year.Margie Peterson is a freelance writer for The Morning Call.
Source: Morningcall