Abington School District sent a memo to area residents today regarding the May 20 vote on a $285 million bond to build a new middle school.

In January, the district’s Board of School Directors voted unanimously to put the investment plan on the ballot during the primary election. If approved by voters, the referendum would provide funding for construction of a new Middle School.

According to the memo, if the referendum is approved, the district will begin a 12-month design process for the new Middle School that will include opportunities for input from teachers, staff, students, parents/guardians, and community members. 

Approval will also result in an estimated tax impact of $54 per month on a median homestead in the district with a current implied market value of $387,402, officials said.

“The earliest that any tax impact would go into effect would be July 2026, but the full tax impact will be phased in over several years to reflect when the bonds for the project are issued,” a notice published earlier this week said. “The exact timing of the incremental tax impact is not known at this time, but if the referendum is approved by voters, the Board of School Directors will determine a schedule for bond issuance during the design phase.”

A tax calculator can be found here.

If the referendum is not approved, “the challenges at the Middle School will not go away,” superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Fecher wrote. “The District would need to use its operating budget to fund repairs and renovations, which would require difficult budget decisions affecting all schools, including cuts to classroom education, staff, programs, student services, athletics and activities.”

More information about what would happen if the referendum fails can be found in the April 22 Board of School Directors presentation below:

You can also watch a recorded version of the meeting below:

“One question we have received is, ‘Why not renovate or expand the current Middle School instead of building a new one?'” Dr. Fecher wrote. “While the District carefully considered all options, including renovating the existing Middle School, we ultimately concluded that renovation would be too disruptive to students and teachers, too costly, and would not deliver sufficient long-term value. Our community also made this clear through multiple opportunities for feedback and input.”

The memo continues:

The District spent two years conducting assessments and considering more than a dozen options for how to address growing issues at the Middle School. Through the planning process, we determined that a full remodel of Abington Middle School could disrupt classroom education for up to five years, offer only modest improvements within most classrooms, and still cost more than 90% of the budget for building new (approximately $268 million).

For these reasons, the District determined that building a new Middle School on the same campus is the most educationally sound and cost-effective solution – while offering the most long-term value for our community. 

In the 60 years since Abington Middle School was built, education has changed drastically. The building’s age also puts a heavy burden on the district’s general fund, which mainly covers classroom and operational expenses. 

The proposed new Middle School will be designed to feel like a smaller school community, providing a safe, accessible, healthy and energy-efficient environment tailored to our needs. The building will support how students learn and teachers teach today, while remaining flexible to adapt to future educational needs. On May 20, voters will decide whether or not this plan moves forward. 

A similar memo went out in February. You can learn more about the proposed plan, its cost and tax impact, and how to vote in the May 20 referendum by visiting OneASDOneFuture.org. 

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