January Rose Tree Media School District Update
Updates from the January School Board Working Session and Legislative Meetings ⬇️
1. The K-1 Center will be delayed: August 2029 instead of 2028. Construction is now scheduled for July 2027. Why? The school district wasn’t able to complete the Township’s traffic study on time.
“There obviously was a traffic issue prior to this building being contemplated. Unfortunately, you know it’s falling on the school district to kind of cure some of the ills of the past.” - (Jan. 8 Work Session)
2. Another factor in the delay: Neighbors.
“The township…requested the project team to evaluate if there’s any opportunity to collaborate with the neighboring church organization and proactively address any potential future traffic issues. We actually need a legal easement or some kind of documentation between us... we still have to work through the easement with the church and then finalize that plan.”
3. A funding choice for the K-1 Center: More Interest Paid, but More Flexibility. The district made a choice to finance with more interest ($11 million more) over a 15 year term (instead of 13 years), but with a lower annual payment. It will change the “annual mortgage” the district pays from $11 million to $14.9 million. It would have gone up to $17 million per year if they chose the other option with less interest. The lower annual payment allows them to pursue other projects in the future.
You can watch the meetings in their entirety here:
