Time to Bloom Update 1/11/26

At the January 8 Work Session, the School Board continued discussions on the K-1 Early Learning Center and other topics. As our community grows, our district continues to take steps to accommodate the next generation of students. A recording of the full presentation is available on our YouTube channel. The slide show presentation is available on the RTMSD website.

K-1 Early Learning Center

Progress continues on plans to build a new K–1 Early Learning Center, featuring full-day kindergarten, smaller class sizes, and learning spaces tailored to meet the needs of our youngest learners. During this session, the School Board heard updates on the land development process and traffic study findings:

• The geotechnical reports and geothermal conductivity testing are now complete. The results confirm design assumptions, meaning the design of the geothermal system will proceed as planned.
• The traffic study, which is being finalized, will have evaluated 13 off-site intersections based on current conditions and future conditions that reflect improvements planned by PennDOT for Hwy 352/US 1.
• Interim improvements to the area will be needed to accommodate the planned K-1 Early Learning Center before PennDOT’s scheduled improvements are completed in the mid 2030s.
• District leaders will pursue a realignment of Rose Tree Road that is consistent with the planned PennDOT improvements and will help address existing traffic issues in the area in the meantime.
• Middletown Township requested that the project also consider ways to address potential traffic and access issues along Middletown Road.
• To accommodate the additional time required for the land development process, the K-1 Early Learning Center is now expected to open for the 2029/2030 school year.

Athletic Facilities

Next steps for the $11 million plan for athletic facility improvements approved by the school board in 2025, include:

• Determining surfaces for the combined baseball/softball multi-use field at Penncrest High School
• The Board indicated a desire to use EPDM for use in the synthetic fields.
• Identifying design alternatives
• Integrating the athletics improvements into the overall land development submission with the K-1 Early Learning Center.

Reminder: Although separate from the K-1 Early Learning Center, the athletic projects are advancing through the land development process concurrently to streamline permitting, align timelines, and minimize disruptions in the area.

Estimated Project Timelines:

• Completion of Traffic Study: February 2026
• Completion of Permitting and Approvals: May 2027
• Construction Begins: July 2027
• Move-In: August 2029 (adjusted from August 2028 to accommodate the land development process)

What’s next

As we look ahead, here’s what’s next for the School Board:

• Complete and submit the results of the traffic study
• Continue design development, including user group meetings.
• Determine surfaces and design alternatives for athletics improvements.

We look forward to keeping you informed as these projects progress. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about the work being done to build the space needed for tomorrow’s students.