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The future of the Hopewell Area School District in regard to the construction of new school buildings has been discussed for the last couple of years.

As things currently stand, two major construction projects are being discussed and could begin starting in the summer of 2027.

A group of Hopewell residents have some concerns and have consistently voiced them at past school board meetings.

Vikings Sports Now isn’t a political website and focuses on the teams and the athletes in the Hopewell School District. However, because of the importance of this issue and the potential long-term impact it could have on everyone, Vikings Sports Now wanted to make everyone aware of this and to encourage you to attend the school board meeting tomorrow evening. 

Here is a letter that this group of Hopewell residents have written and respectfully given to members of the Hopewell Area School Board. They once again plan on voicing their concerns and an alternative idea tomorrow evening at the next Hopewell Area School Board Meeting. The members of this group are listed at the end of the letter.

Greetings Hopewell Area School District Board of Education,

We write this letter urging you to reconsider the current plan to undertake two major construction projects, occurring simultaneously, beginning in the summer of 2027.  We are alternatively asking you to build the proposed addition on to the existing Sr. High School building prior to making any significant changes to the Jr. High building.  Our proposed course of action would allow the transition between the current facility plan, and the future A3 plan, approved in October of 2024, to proceed with significantly less disruption to the faculty, parents, and most importantly students, as initially approved by the board.  It could also, potentially, save the district money in terms of the cost of building materials and interest paid on the loan needed to complete the project, while also giving time to reconsider whether the current new K-6 elementary building design is still appropriate as the project pushes further away from the date it was approved, and more information on the particulars of the design and the design process have been developed.

Our proposal focuses on two key elements: 1. Reducing the expected disruption of the three-year (at least) transition process; 2. Potential cost savings based on time, fundraising, design and approach.

Disruption

In October of 2024, after a very open and transparent process, a decision was made to build an addition on to the high school building, which would be a 7th and 8th grade wing, and to build a brand-new elementary building for K-6 students.  At that time, it was understood that these projects would happen in stages to allow one building to be finished before the other project started.  Since that time, without the transparent, open process that occurred in 2024, the decision was made to do both projects at one time. This decision was made based on the recommendation of the contractors who would like to manage the projects.

If this approach were to happen, all the existing K-6 students would attend the three elementary schools in one of the three options for the transition being discussed among the district residents.  In conjunction, the 7th and 8th grade students would be moved to the Sr. High School, the details of which haven’t been released publicly.  When using square foot/student ratios, technically there is enough space in the current school buildings to accommodate the students and faculty with this plan during the three years estimated to complete construction.  However, space would be tight, class sizes would be larger than they are currently are, and the 7th and 8th graders would not be in their own isolated wing, as was discussed and approved in 2024.

In 2024, Lincoln Park moved their 7th and 8th grades out of the high school building to their own facility because they were having many issues due to students with such a wide age and maturity range being located in one building.  During the current transition plan for Hopewell, for at least three years, 7th and 8th graders won’t be in an isolated wing, allowing for the increased possibility of 7th grade students consistently being around Juniors and Seniors.  In addition, there will be a major construction project happening on the same grounds, near to and in, a now packed facility.  No matter how well the construction side of this proposed project is managed, the idea that it will not significantly affect students and faculty is very hard to imagine.

In our proposal, we ask the board to stage the projects so that the High School addition is completed before the demolition of the existing Jr. High and construction of the new elementary building begins, as originally planned.  If the projects are staggered, the 7th and 8th graders will be permanently placed, in their own isolated wing adjacent to the high school, and the high school can function without the constant distraction of a major construction project.  And, if desired, the high school addition could possibly house the 6th grade to alleviate the burden on the rest of the elementary buildings during the elementary construction process.  Staging the projects to happen one after the other will certainly ease some of the burden and disruption due to new facilities being built, helping to increase the ability of the faculty and staff to do their jobs and educate our children in an effective manner.

Cost Savings

During a recent board meeting, a point was made that building materials are not getting cheaper and interest rates are going up, making both projects significantly more expensive than the 2024 estimates.  This means either we must spend more money, reduce additional scope, or get less building.  Because of this dynamic, there appears to be an urgency to get things done before the projects get even more expensive.

Running the projects concurrently means settling for an addition that is less than we hoped for, as well as a new elementary building that is also less than we originally hoped for and thought that we needed. Throughout the design process, we have seen a reduction in the scope and design of the projects due to market conditions.

Looking at the presentations provided by DRAW Collective starting in March of 2026 through the beginning of October, it is evident that the overall scope has changed for both buildings.

The original K-6 building was comprised of (69) combined classrooms between K-6, support rooms, and special education support, however, the most recent design has seen an overall classroom reduction of seven rooms, along with a building site change.  Additionally. The most recent October rendering of the High School renovation/addition shows a total addition of 23,000 square feet which is significantly less that the original evaluation utilizing 32,764 square feet. It is clear the scope of both projects has been reduced from what was originally proposed.

But it does not have to be this way. Obviously, the projects the community supported and the board approved, two years ago, were in a different time.  A lot has changed in the past two years with interest rates at their highest in 25 years and tariff-induced pricing pushing materials even higher.  To put it mildly, this is a terrible time to build a school.  We obviously cannot know for sure, but it is likely that things will look different in two or three years, and that might just be a better time to build, and to get all that we wanted when this project was originally approved.

If we complete the high school addition first, we may be able to increase its scope, and we will also have time to reflect on how the current market conditions are affecting the design of the new building. It might also allow the world to settle down a bit and pricing to come back down, as it did after Covid restrictions were lifted. Another important dynamic is that taking more time will give the district the opportunity to do something like a capital campaign to help build the school we need, not the school we can afford.  Fundraising can be a creative and empowering endeavor, when done appropriately, and is not something we have heard being considered in a meaningful way up to this point.

Another cost-saving point comes to light when thinking about the next contract with the teachers’ union.  The current contract with teachers’ union is up this year and if we decide to complete both projects at the same time, the burden on the teachers will certainly increase, in terms of class sizes, more teachers sharing classrooms, and needing to do prep at home, or in the teacher’s lounge.  This will possibly lead to the union asking for increased compensation for the greater workload.

Completing one project at a time will also offer an invaluable opportunity to learn the process, the ups and downs, as well as the nuances of a community building project.  We are certainly not experts in this type of long-term construction plan, and we will be able to use the lessons learned during a smaller project, and apply them while undertaking a larger, more expensive one.

It is apparent the only potential benefit of trying to complete both building projects at the same time is a potential cost savings, which has not been presented to the public, and is certainly not guaranteed.  If interest rates go down to the average rate from the past 25 years, the district will save millions by waiting and staggering the projects.  Additionally, materials costs are also at their highest level since Covid and could certainly be reduced in a future market without tariffs.  In contrast, the benefits of staging the two projects, one after another, will likely be significant, both in terms of a potential cost savings, and the huge logistical benefit to students, faculty and parents by easing through the transition from five buildings to two in a timely, gradual process.

Sincerely,

Residents of the Hopewell Area School District:

Adam Burgess (region 2)

Amanda Brunton (region 1)

Andrew Honess (region 3)

Craig Biller (region1)

Dan Domsic (region 1)

Darren Newberry (region 3)

Diane Gennaro (region 3)

Donna Hundenski (region 2)

Kasey Hoth (region 2)

Melissa Krawczynski (region 3)