Mars Area School Board is considering additional options to address continued growth in Mars Area School District that has already over capacity at both Mars Area Elementary School and Mars Area Primary Center.

In March, Jon M. Thomas of Thomas & Williamson Program Management presented the results of the District’s Enrollment & Capacity Study, noting that Mars Area Primary Center’s current enrollment is 532 students with a building capacity of 506; and Mars Area Elementary School has 907 students with a building capacity of 900.

To accommodate existing and anticipated growth at Mars Area Primary Center, Thomas presented plans to update and expand both schools at total cost of approximately $37.6 million. The projects would include additional classroom wings as larger STEAM/maker spaces, cafeterias, gymnasiums and administrative offices as well as additional parking.

While not included in the cost and scope of the proposed school project, Thomas also proposed the relocation of the District’s Administration Office and the possibility of building a new stadium complex.

On July 18, Thomas presented modified options for accommodating the increasing enrollment, including a proposed plan to move fourth grade to an expanded Mars Area Centennial School and to relocate kindergarten and first grade to Mars Area Elementary School.

To view the Enrollment & Capacity Study PowerPoint presentation, visit https://4.files.edl.io/43fb/07/19/23/170930-8c632b2a-5725-40d1-b2eb-ed27b42789db.pdf.

At Mars Area Elementary School, a new two-story classroom wing, which would also house an expanded cafeteria, would be constructed at the rear of the building to house Grade K-1. The existing cafeteria would be converted into a STEAM classroom and additional offices for the school’s administration.

Work at Mars Area Centennial School, would include the construction of a new two-story classroom wing at the eastern end of the building and the renovation of the storage area on the lower level of the school’s west wing into additional classroom space. The project would also include the expansion of the school’s cafeteria into existing space as well as space for a second gymnasium or possibly one full-sized event gym.

In addition, Mars Area Primary Center, which would no longer house students, would be renovated and repurposed as a “Mars Area Administrative & Education Center” with additional space for the District’s administration offices as well as intramural spaces and classroom areas dedicated to District-wide programs, says Thomas. The existing first grade wing would be “non-utilized space,” with the possibility of the District renting out the area.

The total cost of the three proposed projects would be approximately $48.6 million, says Thomas, adding that the price tag would be significantly higher than the original proposal.

In addition to the above recommendations, Thomas also discussed the possibility of building a full-sized event gym at Mars Area High School instead of at Mars Area Centennial School. He noted that, as space is limited to expand or combine the school’s existing gyms, a larger gymnasium could potentially be constructed at the rear of the building near the auditorium and current spaces could then potentially be converted for classroom or other uses.

For more information, call (724) 625-1518.