What's New in the K-1 Center Debate

Over 100 people packed the Planning Commission hearing on Rose Tree Media School District's proposed K-1 Early Learning Center on Tuesday evening. No vote was taken, and its eventual recommendation will go to Township Council for the final decision.

Superintendent Joseph Meloche brought several new arguments that I haven't covered before. I also heard a new concern from the Planning Commission and residents. Today, we're only looking at what's new. If you're looking for a more comprehensive breakdown, check out my guide here.

Preserving the current elementary schools.

Dr. Meloche said that the K-1 Center is the option that keeps the district from redistricting the current elementary schools. Educating kindergarten and first grade together, he said, "will allow us to maintain our four neighborhood schools… as they currently exist for second to fifth grade."

He pushed back on a common suggestion about building another K-5 school instead. "If we build another K-5 school, which the board is not proposing or considering, that will require redistricting of the other schools," meaning the current elementary schools wouldn't "exist in the same way for all the families who are currently part of that school."

A building designed for five- and six-year-olds.

Dr. Meloche said that the district's current elementary school buildings were designed for their oldest students, leaving the youngest as "invited guests to student activities at best," and that a purpose-built K-1 would give kindergartners and first graders spaces suited to them.

That statement was reinforced by educators who spoke at public comment. One longtime elementary counselor said that in a K-5 building "bigger kids have bigger problems" that repeatedly pull staff away from the youngest students, and that a dedicated K-1 center lets teachers and specialists focus on early development. She said the project "was not my first choice" but that she came around after studying the options herself.

New argument against, and what's next.

Most of the objections in public comment like cost, site selection, external road traffic, and tree loss were familiar. A point that I haven't seen before was the internal traffic footprint of the project (movement within the campus itself).

One resident questioned Penncrest's newly licensed teen drivers sharing the campus with the youngest kids. A member of the Planning Commission expressed a similar concern about internal traffic and making sure the proposed roads were wide enough for busses.

In response, Meloche said traffic "supervision and management on campus...are going to be critically important." He also said the first year of opening will be kindergarten only, giving the district time to see and adjust to the internal traffic situation.

Traffic concerns will be front and center in August for the district's traffic presentation and more public comment.