The Bear Creek School Experience, Year 1

This school year, the Elizabethtown Area School District opened its new Bear Creek School, consolidating all fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders in one building. Now that it almost has a full school year completed, I'd like to share some thoughts from my perspective as a parent of a fifth-grader.

As with any new building, the start of the school year posed some challenges with busing and a strange odor that caused school to be canceled for one day. And, as district Superintendent Michele Balliet, likes to say, that doesn't account for epic flooding that closed school for a day in September and a freak late-October snowstorm.

After sorting through the challenges, I think Bear Creek found its legs and took off running. At least that's been our son's experience. We have found teachers and staff to be friendly and professional. More important, they have progressively provided more challenging opportunities -- in reading, math and trombone lessons and band -- for our son without our urging. He has responded well to the challenges. In my mind, that's what public school is all about.

Now, let me say that this has been one family's experience with one student. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section about your experiences -- good, bad or indifferent. Given that Bear Creek has 900-some students, I'm sure every family has a slightly different take.

During Bear Creek's planning stages, Borough Council went on record as opposing the location of the school. The primary reason was because there was no walking connection and that the vast majority of students would be bussed there. We were concerned about increased traffic from buses and the dozens of parents who would be dropping off and picking up their students each day. The school district did construct a walking path that connects Bear Creek to the E-town Fairgrounds (which the district owns).

Generally, I think everything has worked well. That said, there's one improvement I'd like to see. Mount Joy Township should widen Bear Creek Road road and install sidewalks at least on one side. Until I started dropping off my son early a few mornings a week, I never realized just how many pedestrians use the road. I've encountered dog walkers, runners, exercise walkers and bicyclists. I've run a number of times there myself. Given the sheer volume of traffic and the pedestrians, it would be a boon to safety to make these improvements.

So now I'll pose the question to you: What improvements would you like to see at Bear Creek School now that it's a year old?

EASD dedicates new Bear Creek School

In my official capacity as the parent of a student at the new Bear Creek School, I attended the dedication ceremony for the $18 million building held yesterday. Originally scheduled for Oct. 30, it was delayed because of that day's freak snowstorm.

The dedication was a nice event, with all the typical dignitaries speaking and thanking the appropriate individuals.

Two details stood out to me during the ceremony:

• In 2009, the Pennsylvania Department of Education said the Bear Creek School construction project was the cheapest of all school construction in the Commonwealth, according to school Director Terry Seiders, who is chairman of the school board's Facilities Committee. He said the project cost $115 per square foot; in 2009, the average cost for school construction was $183 per square foot.
   
• School Board President Jamie Rowley said Bear Creek is the first brand new school, on a new footprint, that the Elizabethtown Area School District has built in 50 years.

Those are notable details, to be sure. 

In the program handed out yesterday, the district noted some other details:

• The district originally estimated construction at about $23 million, but a favorable construction climate saved nearly $5 million.
  
• The project is funded through general obligation bonds. The debt, according to the program, has no impact on the district's tax rate because the district has paid off some debt, the difference between construction estimates and actual costs as noted above and favorable interest rates.
  
• The 153,000-square-foot school has 48 classrooms housing fourth, fifth and sixth graders. It has five science labs, nine small group instruction spaces, two art rooms, a full-sized gym and an auxiliary gym, a food court and cafeteria and an outdoor play area.
  
• The school has 940 students, 61 teachers, two administrators and 28 support staff.

Bear Creek School certainly is a state-of-the-art facility, with technology such as wireless internet throughout and smart boards in every classroom. I certainly am pleased that my 11-year-old is in a brand new school and can take advantage of new technologies that were only a dream when I was his age.