Schools

School Board Officially Approves Closure of Glenside-Weldon

The Abington School Board on Tuesday night passed a resolution that closes the former Glenside-Weldon Elementary School ... as a school. 

The motion permanently closed the school, which is located in the 400 block of North Easton Road, effective Jan. 15. The school board held a formal public hearing regarding the closure of the school in mid-September. According to regulations, the school board was able to take formal action regarding the school's closure three months after the hearing. 

Yesterday, the school board notified the Pennsylvania Department of Education of its intent to close the school. 

Here are some other notable dates regarding the likely demolition of the school, as outlined by Abington School District Facilities Supervisor Stephen Saile last year.

  • Jan. 28: The board will likely consider a motion to advertise the Glenside-Weldon demolition project.
  • Jan. 30: Should that motion pass, school district officials will submit a demolition permit to the township.
  • Feb. 6: The project will be open to bids.
  • March 6: The board will receive the bids, and five days later, the board will consider taking action to award the demolition contracts.
  • April 11: The board will take action to execute contracts for the demolition project.
  • April 23: Construction will commence.
  • Sept. 6 through Oct. 24: Final completion and project closeout.

According to Saile and Assistant Superintendent Leigh Altadonna, if the district were to renovate and add on to the building instead of razing it, those modifications would cost $29.4 million next year and would cost $44.9 million in 2024; the cost of a new building in 2014 would be an estimated $26.2 million and about $36.6 million 10 years from now.

The cost to knock down the building will be about $2 million.

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