Board Approves Community Needs Assessment of Closing Armstrong Schools

by Jonathan Weaver

A trio of Armstrong School District secondary schools is set to close at the end of the current school year, but no plan has been made as to what will happen to the current buildings.

But, that might all change soon, as school district board directors approved issuing a Request for Proposals for a Comprehensive Study and Assessment of Community Needs in regard to the potential future uses of the current-Ford City Jr-Sr High School, Kittanning Senior High School and Kittanning Junior High School properties.

The resolution was one of four construction items approved earlier this month. It was added to the agenda at the end of the regular meeting after board directors voted to waive the rules

School Board Vice-President Christopher Choncek – who led the open caucus and regular monthly meetings earlier this month in Board President Joseph Close’s absence – said L.R. Kimball engineers did not recommend the action, but that school board directors unanimously agreed to consider the proposals.

“We felt it was the right thing to do,” Choncek said.

Industrial Development Council Executive Director Michael Coonley and County Planning and Development Executive Director Rich Palilla will be working with school district and municipality officials on the assessment.

Coonley was curious to see what proposals come from the proposals. He said the goal is to get the requests out within the next couple of weeks.

“We’d like the company to come back and tell us in their proposals what they believe is appropriate amount of time needed and take it from there,” Coonley said.

A public hearing to listen to community concerns regarding the school closings was held at the end of January – at which time Solicitor Lee Price said all suggestions are welcome.

“If anybody has any suggestions or proposals on what should occur with these three properties, they’re welcome to submit them in writing to the school board,” Price said. “I know that they’re open to any suggestions about what should be done. There has been no decision to tear down any building.”
Board Director Paul Lobby – a Ford City graduate – said at the time that developers have expressed interest in the property since being designed Keystone Opportunity Zones and offering tax relief.

“We, along with the County, Planning Commission, Industrial Development, Senator White, have been active trying to do something that will turn these facilities into something productive for the community,” Lobby said.

The schools were designated Keystone Opportunity Zones as an incentive for developers in August 2013 by Armstrong County Commissioners.

Corporate net income taxes, capital stock and franchise taxes and sales taxes, among others, from the municipality, school district and county will all be withheld from business expenses should a company move into such properties once they are vacant.

Ford City Councilman Eugene Banks read a request from a resident proposing one of the buildings being converted into a community college or a learning center – such as the Bidwell Cultural and Training Center in Pittsburgh.

Banks’ sons – Eugene, Jr. and Jonathan – attended courses at the training center and studied culinary and security, respectively.

At that public hearing, Andrew Tylinski (who lives across from the current Ford City Junior-Senior High parking lot) was also concerned.

“I just hope that somebody – whether in the community or the (school) board can come up with some sort of idea to reuse the buildings or just get rid of it,” Tylinski said. “My biggest fear is that it will become a blighted property – a total menace to the town and the people around it.”

Kittanning Borough Council members have also expressed concern of the two schools being closed and the loss of revenue and traffic it will cause in the municipality. Councilman David Croyle pointed out in January 2014 that as much as $60,000 in service tax revenue would be lost at the end of 2015 when the Kittanning schools close.