You’ve likely heard that the Avon Grove School District Board of School Directors is considering some facility changes. As a community member and taxpayer, you may have a few questions. Why is the district doing this? What are the options? How much will this cost? AGSD has your answers. Throughout April, the District will be hosting a series of four Facilities Q&A Sessions. All residents are invited to attend and bring their questions.

• Monday, April 9, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Penn London Elementary School
• Monday, April 16, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Avon Grove Intermediate School
• Thursday, April 19, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Fred S. Engle Middle School
• Monday, April 23, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Fred S. Engle Middle School

Facilitated by Superintendent Dr. Marchese, Board President Tracy Lisi and Board Vice President Bonnie Wolff, each meeting will begin with a ten-minute introduction followed by the opening of the floor for questions. Hope to see you there!

Strategic Intent

What are we trying to accomplish?

The overall intent of the Facilities Strategic Initiative is to evaluate the current building infrastructure and develop a plan for the future aligned with the mission and vision of the Avon Grove School District. The plan shall include best uses for the existing facilities and sites to meet the needs of students, based on the strategic plan, the educational programs and enrollment projections. In addition, the plan shall include renovation and maintenance needs for the current buildings as well as the potential for future expansion of district facilities based upon the educational goals of the district.

Why is accomplishing this important to achieving the mission of the district?

The mission of the District states, “The purpose of the Avon Grove School District is to foster a learning environment for all students to be exceptionally well-prepared to succeed and lead full and meaningful lives.” In order to accomplish the mission of the district, the district must provide a strong educational program for all students to ensure that they are career and college ready. The development of a comprehensive facilities plan is essential to ensuring that the district has a safe and secure infrastructure that supports the educational goals and programs of the district.

The district facilities must meet the educational, physical, intellectual, social and emotional needs of students. At the same time, the buildings must meet all state and federal requirements to be accessible to individuals with disabilities. All schools must be of adequate size to provide for the safety of students and provide outdoor play areas, bus loading and unloading, parking facilities for students, staff and visitors. The school buildings must be safe and create an environment that will encourage students to learn. In addition, the schools must be organized in such a way as to align with the educational programs of the district and meet staff needs responsible for delivering the educational program.

Facilities Strategic Intent & Implementation Framework

What's next?

This spring, the Board is expected to vote on the pathway for the District's facilities plan.

Community members are invited to attend upcoming Committee of the Whole Facilities Planning Meetings at 6:00 p.m. on:

• January 11 - Avon Grove Intermediate School (Audion)
• January 30 - Avon Grove High School (Library/Media Center)
• February 8 - Avon Grove High School (Library/Media Center)
• February 27 - Fred S. Engle Middle School (Library/Media Center)
• March 8 - Penn London Elementary School (Little Theater)
• March 27 - Penn London Elementary School (Little Theater)
• April 3 - Fred S. Engle Middle School (Library/Media Center)
• April 12 - Avon Grove High School (Library/Media Center)

All Committee of the Whole Facilities Planning Meetings will be broadcast live on AGtv .

Past broadcasts may be viewed here.

Informational Video

Interactive tax calculator download. Calculate your tax impact of the proposed facilities borrowing levels by using your 2017-18 Tax Bill. All of the yellow cells are inputted fields to customize the impact based on your current assessed value. MS Excel is required to manipulate the fields, may not work on all devices.

Who is FJJ?

Check out Fosters, Jacobs, and Johnson, LLC website on services they provide to school districts considering construction projects.

 
What is a listening post?
 
A listening post is an opportunity to collect community input. Avon Grove School District held 23 Listening Posts in the fall and winter of 2017. Each listening post served a dual purpose.  First, the consultants from FJJ sought input from the community on the Facilities Input Group (FIG) non-binding recommendation.  Second, the consultants spent a large portion of the session collecting input on the District’s overall strengths and current/future needs through structured dialogue.

Community feedback on recommendations for the Avon Grove School District’s facilities was presented to the Board of School Directors in January 2018.

Click here to view the Listening Post Summary Presentation