Additional realignment options are on the table in Palmerton Area School District following a highly criticized proposal late last year to shift where elementary students attend school based on their grade level instead of where they live.

In advance of a town hall meeting on the topic scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday in the high school auditorium, Michael Kelly of KCBA Architects outlined proposals Tuesday to enhance the high school’s security and reconfigure administrative spaces.

Highlights of the latest realignment option include moving sixth grade to the junior high/high school campus; relocating the main high school entrance to a new two-story addition off the east parking lot; and moving the district’s administrative offices from Parkside Education Center downtown to a new addition connected to the west side of the junior high school gymnasium.

“The current setup, with administrative offices in the middle of the building, does not meet modern security standards,” Kelly said. “Best practices involve positioning administration closer to entry points, ensuring clear oversight of visitors entering the campus.”

The two-story addition at the high school’s east end would consolidate high school and junior high entrances into a shared zone, he said, improving visibility and accessibility.

The first floor of the addition would house the administrative offices, guidance counselors, and the nurse’s suite. The second floor would provide additional classroom space to accommodate future grade realignments.

“The relocation of administrative offices would free up space within the high school’s interior,” Kelly said, “allowing for the conversion of existing offices into three classrooms and an assistant principal’s office. Combined with the proposed second-floor addition, this would create six new classrooms — which could help address potential grade realignments, such as moving sixth grade to the junior high campus.”

The proposal includes creating a secure vestibule at the new main entrance and ensuring that gymnasium and auditorium visitors have separate, secure entrances during events.

Realignment of grades has been a hot topic in Palmerton dating back to a town hall when RLPS Architects, who the district commissioned to do an $18,000 feasibility study, outlined an option to have all K-3 students eventually attend Towamensing Elementary and all fourth through sixth grade students attend S.S. Palmer.

KCBA’s proposal moves sixth grade to the junior high campus, freeing up space at S.S. Palmer and Towamensing.

“This plan provides a solution to multiple challenges,” Kelly said. “By consolidating grades, we open opportunities for future growth while addressing capacity issues at the elementary schools.”

Questions raised Tuesday included parking limitations, walking distances for students from their vehicles, and the adequacy of facilities to handle the additional students.

“In the morning, students could still park on the stadium side,” Kelly said. “They’re fine. Buses will still drop off at what’s now the front over by the gymnasium. When the bell rings, that’s when all the doors are locked and the only entrance into the building would be the new main entrance on the east side.”

A new two-story addition to the north of the junior high gymnasium and west of the corridor that connects the two schools could also house additional classrooms, Kelly said.

KCBA’s proposal Tuesday night also included new administrative offices built off the west side of the junior high gymnasium.

“The proposed administrative wing would include offices for the superintendent, business manager, and other administrative staff, as well as a new boardroom,” Kelly said. “This setup would maximize the use of existing land while keeping administrative functions close to district operations.”

While the board expressed interest in the proposals, questions about funding loomed large.

The main entrance/classroom addition project is estimated to cost $8.3 million, which includes $6.5 million for the addition and renovation, $500,000 for construction contingency, $1 million for permits and soft costs, and $300,000 for furniture and equipment.

The district office addition would cost around an additional $4.7 million, while the creation of two more classrooms is estimated at $1.8 million.

“If the board were to do this, we would have to borrow money,” PASD Business Manager Ryan Kish said. “We could explore options to structure the debt over multiple years to minimize the tax impact on residents. Bond council would provide further guidance at an upcoming workshop.”

If the district borrowed the full amount, Kish estimated an additional $600,000 in debt service per year for Palmerton. One mill of taxes generates around $300,000 and adds just over $40 to the average homeowner’s yearly bill, he added.

Tuesday’s town hall, board members said, will be an opportunity for stakeholders to hear more on the latest option.

“When you look at it this way, it would have been $10 million to add on at Towamensing for the earlier option and they would have had to add on to the cafeteria,” Board President Earl Paules said. “If you figure transportation would have cost an extra $250,000, that would have been per year. We’re at $14 million here if we do everything, but we may actually save on busing. We don’t know yet. We listened to the people and came up with another option. That is what they asked us to do.”

Pinar Angun, a Towamensing parent, thanked the board for looking at alternatives to an elementary realignment.

“You actually listened to those who came to the town hall and we’re happy to see there is another option on the table,” Angun said. “It makes sense logically to have sixth graders move to the junior high. It’s a more normal alignment.”