S. WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. – The Parkland School District Board of Directors advanced the district’s high school expansion project Tuesday night.
The district will enter into an early steel package with Szoke Bros. for $3.7 million. Szoke’s bid defeated Levan and Stewart-Amos who offered PSD deals for $3.8 million and $4 million, respectively. The $3.7 million figure is $1 million under budget, according to the district.
In a separate motion, the board approved to pre-purchase a 2,500 KVA transformer required for the same project. The anticipated cost of the transformer is $136,685.
The plan proposes five different building expansions for the high school building located at 2700 N. Cedar Crest Blvd. The five projects involve two classroom expansions of 18,773 square feet and 19,782 square feet, a building addition of 572 square feet, a 5,385-square-foot athletic entrance expansion, and a cafeteria expansion of 2,753 square feet on a 112.5-acre tract.
In addition to the building expansions, the project includes a bus loop to extension to create 11 additional bus parking spaces. This will eliminate the 63-space parking lot adjacent to the bus loop. A new parking lot will be constructed to the southeast of the existing parking lots near Cedar Crest Boulevard, adding 111 new parking spaces. The changes to the parking area will increase total parking from 1,445 to 1,489.
Finally, the board approved debt to assist in paying for the project. The general obligation bonds, Series 2026 will provide the district with $50 million.
“We are on our way to expanding our high school,” President Robert Cohen said. “…It’s very exciting to see this project get off the ground.”
New courses
Directors approved a program of studies and offerings for the 2026-27 school year.
Parkland said the changes “aim to expand student opportunities, align with state requirements, and strengthen college and career readiness.”
Some highlights include replacing existing video production courses with “Live from Parkland: Sports and News Broadcasting” and “Screen & Scene: Performance for TV and Film.” These, Parkland maintains, are modernized courses “that reflect current industry standards, technological advancements, and real-world media applications.”
The proposal also introduces AP Business with Personal Finance to meet the new Pennsylvania Department of Education personal finance graduation requirement. The new courses feature Introduction to Baking as a hands-on culinary elective and splits Theatre Arts 3 into two classes, 3A and 3B, with potential dual credit through Muhlenberg College.
Priority goals
The board OK’d the district’s 2025-26 goals.
Those goals include strengthening physical security and cybersecurity, focusing on literacy using the Science of Reading, and fostering a districtwide culture of continuous improvement through enhanced leadership and targeted professional development on innovative practices, including AI strategic and ethical use.