The landscape of education is set for a transformation in the Elizabeth Forward School District, following a decision by the school board to implement the next phase of its high school construction project. As reported by WPXI, this move will see the eventual closure of three elementary schools: Greenock, William Penn, and Mt. Vernon. The board, casting a 6-3 vote, has pushed forward with a plan that arose in the wake of a significant fire at the high school over two years ago.
In the wave of these changes, the district will see its 7th and 8th graders housed in a new two-story academic wing at the high school. This will force a reshuffling of students across several schools. "At this time, this seems to be the best decision moving forward," Superintendent Keith Konyk stated, per CBS News. Subsequently, students from grades 2-6 are to be moved to the middle school, while Central Elementary will be repurposed to exclusively educate those in kindergarten and first grade.
The decision did not pass without contention. During a meeting packed with concerned community members, questions about class sizes and busing were brought to the fore, with no definitive answers being provided. A failed motion by a board member to delay the bid decision until January only highlights the friction between the administration's plans and the community's concerns.
However, the superintendent argued that this restructuring is in the interest of providing "better access to educational resources," according to the same CBS News report. Konyk envisions more consistent class sizes district-wide, "20, 22 – those numbers are good numbers." In regards to the busing concerns, he affirmed the need to maintain reasonable transit times for all students. The intent is to complete the academic wing by August 2027 and implement the closures and realignment for the 2027-28 school year.
