Matt Schickling, the Wire
Bensalem School District administrators don’t want to leave memories in the dust as they continue the $78 million renovation to the high school.
PHOTO COURTESY OF RON MORAN A mural in Bensalem High School by Katie McGregor , from the class of 2008.
The renovations, which officially began last fall, will take about three years to complete. The first class to graduate from the completed building will be current freshmen in the class of 2018.
The ongoing project will include a 425,000-square-foot renovation with upgrades to the classrooms, library, cafeteria, auditorium, gymnasium, natatorium and other areas. It will also include an Internet cafe, fitness center, student dining and an outdoor courtyard in a center core area.
“That $78 million doesn’t cover a lot of bells and whistles,” Bensalem Superintendent David Baugh said. “It’s for pipes and paint.”
According to Baugh, the project is “on time and on budget,” but there are supplemental needs not designated in the budget.
To bridge that gap and hopefully augment funds for some of these “bells and whistles,” the Bensalem Education Foundation has been working to implement special projects.
PHOTO COURTESY OF RON MORAN A mural by Julie Lewandowski, class of 2010.
“We searched ways to marry the history of the building with the renovations,” Charlotte Moser of the BEF said. “Graduated students would still feel that it was their building. Future students would know the history.”
One of those initiatives is to preserve some of the murals painted throughout the building by former students. As areas of the building are renovated, the artwork on the walls will be lost. But the foundation started a crowdfunding campaign to salvage them in the most cost-effective way possible.
“The budget won’t cover everything. There are needs that aren’t going to be met,” Moser said. “We thought, ‘What could we do to ease the burden for the district and community?’ ”
The campaign was made to cover the costs of photographing the artwork and designing frames to hang the pieces in the renovated building, as well as securing funds for other needs. The goal is to raise $7,500, but as of last Friday, only $25 has been donated. The foundation will also be hosting an April 16 gala to raise funds.
The BEF was created about two years ago as an auxiliary means of supporting the district. Right now, the focus is on the high school, but Baugh said this is something that many districts use to “reduce the load of the taxpayers.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF RON MORAN A mural by Erik Williams, class of 2007.
Another way the foundation is supporting the renovation is by raising funds for the STEM committee as the project moves forward. The new building will feature STEM facilities including manufacturing, production, digital multimedia, robotics and CAD labs.
“There are equipment needs that the teachers will need to teach in those new settings, because they moved or they didn’t exist before,” Moser said. “It’s the extras we’re trying to work toward.”
As for the renovations, Baugh said the school is midway through the second phase, which is creating the center core area. Once the new cafeteria comes online, the existing cafeteria will become classroom space. Then, renovations will begin in the south and north wings of the school.
“An important part is preserving the history,” Moser said. “Making the new building feel like part of the existing community.”
To contribute to the art preservation campaign, visit www.crowdrise.com/bhsartpreservation/fundraiser/bensalemeducationfou.
For more information or tickets for the April 16 gala, call Tammy Wood-Moghal at 215-750-2800 ext. 4108, email twood@bensalemsd.org or visit www.eventbrite.com/e/bensalem-education-foundation-bef-2015-gala-tickets-13223492823
The Midweek Wire 