STATE COLLEGE, CENTRE COUNTY - The State College Area High School has been a hot topic over the past few years in Centre County. A plan to renovate the school fell through last year, and now the district has another renovation in the works.
Earlier Wednesday night, they opened it up for area residents to take a tour of the school. WTAJ News took the tour too.
Walking the halls of State College Area High School, two students talk about the problems they see all too often. Problems like flooding in the band room, dirty lab tools, crowded classrooms, old equipment, tough temperatures, or crossing Westerly Parkway between buildings. Something
students deal with up to four times a day.
Kelly Garthwaite is an alum and a concerned parent. She says if something isn't done, then her two kids won't be going to her alma mater.
"I thought it was pretty depressing, it's exactly the same that it was when I went to high school here. It's antiquated, tired, worn out, sad."
Garthwaite says the school still has great teachers and programs. It's a good school in a good district. But thinks there are health risks including mold, asbestos and radon.
Garthwaite has a theory on why previous plans to fix the school have failed.
"...73% of the voting public is retirees with no students that would be going to school here and so they're really opposed to change."
Julie Miller, who handles Public Relations duties for the State College Area School District says the district knows about these problems.
"...Certainly we're well aware of many of the issues and the short-comings that we do have in the facility here."
Miller says the tour is a way to give the community a first hand look at the school's problems. Once it's decided whether they'll move or renovate the school, it'll be put on a voter's ballot.
Miller adds that as of now, there's been no decision on whether they'll fix up this school, move to a new building or build one from scratch. But once that's decided the earliest they'd be able to put this issue on a voter's ballot is the end of this year. Which would mean State College Area High Students would be walking these halls until at least 2015.
