Dunbar Elementary School breaks ground on renovations
$11 million project to include facility upgrades, inclusive playground
Six of the seven schools in the Connellsville Area School District were either built or renovated in the past 25 years.
Now it’s Dunbar Elementary School’s turn.
The Connellsville Area School District held a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday night for the school’s renovation, which will begin within the next month.
Superintendent Richard Evans said while Dunbar has remained a great school, it’s also a building that hasn’t changed much since he attended classes there in the 1980s.
“That’s what makes today so important,” he said. “After decades without a major renovation, we’re making a significant investment in the future of this building, and more importantly, the students and staff who walk through its doors every day.”
The first phase of the roughly $11 million project will include new and upgraded electrical, heating, and plumbing; improvements to the front parking lot and driveway to improve traffic flow; outdoor lighting; and solid doors to replace the exterior glass doors for added safety. The building will also get new lockers, and windows will be added to former storage rooms that have been converted into classrooms.
Other additions include a new all-inclusive playground for the school’s students, including special-needs students, which facilities committee head Bob Renzi called “long overdue.”
“This is something our families, staff, and community have wanted for years, and we’re proud to finally make it a reality,” Evans said. “Every child deserves the opportunity to play, interact, and enjoy the same experiences as their classmates.”
“This playground represents much more than just new equipment,” said Mark Roper, chief commercial officer for Opterra, the Pittsburgh-based firm developing the project. “It’s one of the reasons we’re so excited about this project. It reflects the district’s commitment to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to learn and also to play, connect, and thrive in school here.”
In the second phase, the school will get expanded office space, a new gym and band room, and the trailers currently there will be removed. The old gym might also be converted into a Title I room, Renzi said.
“Today’s groundbreaking is a massive step forward as we transform this building into a place that matches the limitless potential of our present and future students of our district,” he said. “I want to give thanks to the community that supported the project and the teams that worked to bring this vision to life.”
By late November, work will begin on the playground, boilers and a new gas line for the building, which was previously electric-only, Evans said. Both phases should be complete in a little over a year.