A new competition-size gym will now be a part of Loyalsock Township School District’s proposed building project following approval by the board.

The latest option adds another $1.6 million to the gym expansion, which brings the total for the gym and bleachers to about $4.9 million. The overall cost of the multi-phased project is $11.9 million. Included in that are renovations and additional classrooms in the high school and middle school plus the addition of classrooms and kitchen reconfiguration at Schick Elementary.

Prior to the board’s vote, Superintendent Gerald McLaughlin detailed construction projects in the district for the past ten years. He said that in early 2020 a few board members began questioning the facility needs of the district going forward.

With the bond market remaining at an all-time low, McLaughlin said that triggered additional discussion with the administrative team, which identified priorities in the buildings. Those needs were then roughed out late last year and a feasibility study was begun earlier this year. Consulting the district’s financial advisor, the board adopted a bond purchase agreement in April in order to move forward with the project. Robert Lack was hired to provide architectural services.

At first the board was presented with drawings for Option A which would have added to the existing Middle School gym, would have only increased the size by 150 seats.

“We went back to have some additional conversation–looking at a competition gym. That option B was presented on July 14 to the board of directors,” McLaughlin said.

He noted that in conversations with the two basketball coaches in the district, it was discussed about preserving bleachers in the middle school and adding a separate entrance in the new gym.

McLaughlin cited an increase in the enrollment in the district as one of the reasons for the additional classrooms at Schick.

We have six kindergarten class as well as six first grade classes at Schick,” he said. He added that the district is seeing bigger class sizes all the way through the high school, where one class is 145 students.

“We always need classroom space,” McLaughlin said.

The larger competition gym is expected to accommodate in addition to sports events, such things as concerts and job fairs.