Abington HS To Break Ground On $104M In Additions, Renovations

ABINGTON, PA — Abington School District will break ground this week on a $104 million project of renovations and additions to the high school, brought to fruition in large part thanks to a historic $25 million donation earlier this year that gained national attention.

The project is highlighted by the Stephen A. Schwarzman Center for Science and Technology, named for the Abington alum and CEO of Blackstone, a private equity firm, who made the donation in February. It's believed to be the largest gift ever given to a public high school in the United States.

"(This) will be the biggest project the District has embarked on in the 21st century," School Board President Raymond McGarry said in a statement.

The center, which the district hopes will open by the fall of 2020, will house classrooms for science, art, and general education. There will will also be a new auxiliary gymnasium, career center, and cafeteria built. Most of the existing structure — 93 percent, in fact — will be renovated, the district added. All renovations have an estimated completion date of 2022.

The billionaire Schwarzman, a highly influential figure on Wall Street, said he hoped the gift would galvanize support for public education and inspire similar donations.

"Ninety percent of America's youth attend public schools, which means investing in public education yields one of the best returns imaginable — a new generation of creative, capable and collaborative future leaders who are prepared to succeed in the evolving workforce," Schwarzman said back in February.

The gift came with controversy, however, as the district originally planned to rename the high school after Schwarzman. In late March, the school board approved a plan to dub the it the Abington Schwarzman High School, but faced severe and immediate backlash from the community. A week later, the school board walked back on the renaming idea. And shortly thereafter, Superintendent Amy Sichel announced her retirement.

The district says the project marks the first major renovation of the Abington Senior High School building in twenty years. The original structure was built in 1956.

School officials are hopeful the renovations and additions will help the district address numerous issues, ranging from increased enrollment (10 percent in the past decade) to the need for an updated and expanded curriculum.

When work is complete, the senior high building will contain grades 9-12 (it holds 10-12 now), while grades 6 through 8 will have a home in the junior high building (which currently holds 7-9).

The formal groundbreaking ceremony will take place on Friday, Nov. 2 at the site of the future Schwarzman Center, along the Ghost Road entrance.

Read also:

• Abington HS Gets Record $25 Million Donation From Alum
  
• Abington Will Not Rename HS For Donor Who Gave $25 Million
• Abington Superintendent Amy Sichel To Retire After 42 Years

Image via Abington School District