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New Scranton elementary school will incorporate modern technologies

Construction on new John G. Whittier school expected to be completed in January 2011.

PHILLIP LEROY Times Leader Intern

A $13 million construction project for the new John G. Whittier Elementary School in Scranton is under way.

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In front of the former John G. Whittier School at 700 Orchard St., Scranton, from left, are Brian Jeffers, school board member; Larry Miner, principal; Patrick O’Malley, school board member; and William King, superintendent. A new $13 million school is being built to ease overcrowding at the elementary school.

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Demolition of the 107-year-old former school building at 700 Orchard St. began in mid-August. Construction on the new building is expected to be completed in January 2011.

Scranton School District superintendent Bill King said McKissick Associates conducted a district-wide study in 2005 and recommended the Whittier school be replaced. The study considered the age of the structure, the anticipated growth of the district and current space issues. Currently, all Whittier students are attending St. Mary of the Assumption School, 430 River St., Scranton. King noted since 2006, fourth and fifth grade students have been attending the school to help ease overcrowding.

Over the past six to seven years, King said the school has been on a continual growth pattern and because of the increase in enrollment over the past 10 years.

There are 326 students enrolled at Whittier with a student/teacher ratio of 22-1, King said.

The district has followed recommendations from the McKissick report to begin a $60 million building/renovation project. The first phase of the project renovated and expanded the John F. Kennedy School at 2200 Prospect Ave., which was completed in July. Whittier is the second phase, and calls for construction of a larger and more modern building on the existing site. The third phase involves construction of a new West Scranton Elementary School in the Tripps Park area. The construction for this building is scheduled to begin later this fall and, once completed, is expected to serve the children currently attending Lincoln-Jackson and John Marshall elementary schools.

The new Whittier school will include numerous improvements including extra parking, a bus area, a new science lab, music room, resource rooms and larger multi-purpose room for gym and cafeteria use. An elevator is also being added and the entire building will be handicapped accessible, King added.

School board member Pat O’Malley believes building a new elementary school will benefit the entire community.

“Schools are built around communities and communities are built around schools,” he said.

The new facility will also incorporate “green” building practices to make the structure more environmentally friendly and cost efficient, King said. This will be evident in all windows, the electrical system and heating and ventilation and air conditioning systems, he said.

“It’s all about the children,” O’Malley added. “In a world where computerization is the leading technology, you need a facility that is capable of fulfilling the needs of the 21st century, which is what this building will be able to do.”

O’Malley added modernized educational facility also aid in attracting new business to the area.

“The first thing businesses look at is what kind of educational communities they’ll have for their employees,” O’Malley said.

The new Scranton High School was the start of a “Scranton renaissance,” O’Malley said. He noted once vacant buildings near the school are now home to an ice rink, pizza places and other sports facilities.

In addition, King said space in the new building will be made available, depending on scheduled events, to organizations and community groups, who will also benefit by more modern quarters for their meetings and other functions.

“We consider all of our schools to be community owned and we make every attempt to make them available to the community,” King said.