Upper Perkiomen schools, already on the crowded side, are projected to see more growth according to a population study recently completed for the district.

        And that growth is going to have to be closely monitored according to Superintendent Dr. Alexis McGloin.

        "The middle school and both elementary schools are packed," said McGloin during a brief discussion at the Upper Perkiomen School Board's June 25 meeting. 

        McGloin said two computer labs at Upper Perkiomen Middle School are being converted into classrooms for the upcoming school year and an art room is also being transitioned into instructional space at Marlborough Elementary.  The art teacher will conduct roving instruction in classrooms with supplies on a cart, she said, and will be able to share classroom space on occasion.

        She said the space issue is something the district needs to think about for the long term.

        The Montgomery County Planning Commission, commissioned by the district to complete an enrollment study, presented their 10-year findings at the meeting.  Those findings were split into two categories, the first for 2015-2020, and the second for 2020-2025.  

        The findings were backed up by population and birth data, school enrollment history, including alternative school enrollment, busing data, and housing data, which included projections for existing and proposed developments and their growth.  Those developments included Northgate, Andrews Lane, the Reserve at Macoby Run and Glenwood Chase, all in Upper Hanover Township, the Kershner Development in Red Hill (proposed to include 200 townhomes) and a 12-unit condominium already constructed in East Greenville.

        According to those findings, which used a housing adjustment with higher births as recommended by the commission, the district is slated to see a total of 144 more students by 2024-25. 

        Numbers for the first five years were drastically different than the five years after that.  By 2020 the commission believes Hereford will lose between 80 and 100 students but Marlborough could gain 50.  Those numbers drop for the next five years, for a total of 21 less students by 2025.      

        Upper Perkiomen Middle School is called to gain 71 students by 2020, but then experience a 60 student loss in enrollment, for a total of 11 more students by 2025.

        Upper Perkiomen High School is projected to see 135 more students by 2020, with 19 more students over the next five years, for a total enrollment increase of 154 at that school.

        In other district news, the board approved hiring Barry Isett and Associates, Allentown, for engineering services to relocate the data hub from next to the library to a maintenance storage room at the same site, Facilities and Operations Director John Sheeran said this week. 

        The engineering costs are $12,850, which was approved unanimously.

        District officials also discussed buying a new financial and human resources management system at a cost of $147,925 over two years.  Director of Computer Services Barb Eisenhauer said the district is still using Tenex software; the company they went with in 1985, which was problematic.

        Eisenhauer recommended a Skyward system which would start with the implementation of a new payroll component in April 2016.  Officials said the move would make a lot of what is now manual work automated and allow them to get data much easier.  The agreement will be up for approval at the August board meeting, officials said.

        The board talked extensively about the transportation of middle school students, at the meeting, on the heels of a parent requesting the district bus to daycare facilities.  Board Vice President Raeann Hofkin said she thought the board should consider changing its policy to bus those students to avoid having them become "latchkey" kids. 

        Other members disagreed, saying they thought the district's responsibility was to pick up and drop off students at home each day, especially in lieu of the extensive paperwork administrators have to process and the extra time from teachers to make sure each student is on the correct bus for the day.

        In the end, McGloin said she would reach out to the Upper Perk Y, at the board's request, to see if they could offer afterschool care at the middle school, as they do at the elementary level in lieu of busing.  Talks will continue, officials said.