The Quakertown Community School Board welcomed three new school board members this month, all three of which have come on just in time for a colossal undertaking in the replacement of the existing Quakertown Elementary School. Superintendent Matthew Friedman took a moment at the beginning of the meeting to recognize school board members – past, present and future – for all the time and effort they put in to serving their community. On behalf of students and staff, he extended a warm thanks to the board for their service.

            At the Jan. 22 Quakertown Community School District meeting, board members discussed a design and development presentation detailing the upcoming replacement of the existing Quakertown Elementary, a 90-year-old building that is too small to accommodate the current student population. In addition, the supervisors maintained that repairs to the current Quakertown Elementary, due to its age, are too costly to be sustainable in the long term. The members also expressed an interest in potentially building a separate sixth grade center in the future.

            Friedman reiterated the need for a new building, stating that "the repairs were becoming too costly" and that it would be "not fiscally responsible" to continue servicing the existing building.

            The design plan for the new Quakertown Elementary was well-received by the borough back in November, and is designed to hold six hundred more students than the current school. It will stand on the same site as the current Quakertown Elementary. The process is set to begin this summer, when temporary modules will be attached to the existing sixth grade center in order to house the elementary students for the duration of the construction. The site abatement is also set to begin this summer.

            Friedman is excited for this new building, claiming that it "will be … one of the crown jewel buildings of the district."

            The school board stated that Quakertown Borough has been cooperative so far. Upon completion of the new school, which is scheduled for late 2028 or early 2029, Sixth Street is set to become a one-way south street.

            The school board has approved a total budget of $63 million for the project.