MOORE TWP., Pa.- After years of uncertainty about its future, Moore Elementary School is officially for sale.
The 86,546 square-foot school at 2835 Mountain View Dr. outside Bath in Moore Township is listed for $3.4 million. The entire property is 17 acres.
The Northampton Area School District’s board of school directors voted to authorize the sale at its April meeting. The board also voted to proceed with the previously announced sale of the district’s administration building, as well as Franklin Elementary School and Washington Technology Center.
Franklin Elementary at 855 Lincoln Ave. in Northampton is listed at $1.025 million. Washington Technology Center at 2389 Main St. in Northampton is advertised at $1.39 million. The administration building at 2014 Laubach Ave. in Northampton has a $1.4 million asking price.
The sales come as the district builds a new school- East Allen Elementary School- and administrative center.
It’s been known for a while that Moore Elementary would close for the 2026-27 academic year, but its fate after that wasn’t quite so clear.
The district, grappling with a budget deficit, has considered a number of options over the years, including demolishing the school, fixing it up to reopen it in the future, or using just a portion of the school.
According to figures released during an October 2024 school board meeting, estimates for partial renovations totaled $25 million, while a full renovation would have cost the district around $51 million. Even so, at that meeting the school board voted in favor of keeping Moore Elementary operational upon the completion of East Allen Elementary.
Now, nearly two years later, those plans have changed.
Northampton Superintendent Joseph Kovalchik told 69 News the district will need to keep all four buildings until at least October 1, 2026, because of the amount of time it will take to move items from the old buildings into the new buildings.
The new East Allen Elementary School will be operational for the 2026-27 year. An open house will be held at the end of August.
Kovalchik told 69 News there has been interest from potential buyers in all four of the buildings.
Earlier this month, the school board voted 5-4 to adopt a preliminary 2026-27 budget with a 4.2% tax increase, 69 News reported.
The district’s deficit was recorded at $12.7 million. But, $5.2 million saved through salary and staff reductions, plus $1.2 million in bond fund interest earnings and $3.5 million from the tax increase would bring the deficit to $2.8 million.