Shaping the Future: Developing a Comprehensive Long-Term Facilities Plan

The RTSD Feasibility Study assesses the current and future capacity of our District buildings in meeting programming needs, maintaining accessible facility and site conditions, accommodating enrollment trends, and planning for all funding and expenditures.

The Feasibility Study identified Programming Needs; Facility and Site Needs; Enrollment Needs; and Financial Impact.

• Programming Needs: The capacity of our facilities to support current and future District programming and maintain optimal class sizes.
• Facility and Site Needs: The physical conditions of each building to inform short- and long-term maintenance plans.
• Enrollment Needs: Ongoing enrollment projections and how they relate to school building capacity.
• Financial Impact: The totality of the short- and long-term school facilities’ needs and the most cost effective way to address them.

School districts must be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars while ensuring that their school buildings provide the safest, most accessible and supportive educational environments for optimal teaching and learning.

The Feasibility Study examined the components of each school and the Administration Building and graded their condition on a scale of 1-5, 1 being "Excellent," 5 being "Critical."

"Good" to "Excellent" Condition

• Radnor Elementary School (Built 2001)
• Radnor Middle School (Built 2007)
• Radnor High School (Built 1956)

"Fair" to "Critical" Condition

• Wayne Elementary School (Built 1971)
• Ithan Elementary School (Built 1963)
• Administration Building (Built 1900)

Key Areas of Concern

• ADA Accessibility
• Building Envelope (the separation of a building's interior and exterior)
• Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing
• Security

All Radnor community members were invited to initially learn about the results of the study on the state of RTSD schools, see our elementary schools in-person, and share their thoughts on next steps. We are currently planning in-person meetings with option for virtual attendance at each elementary school. Each event featured the same information to allow community members to attend any event that was convenient.

Thursday, March 3, 6:30-8 p.m.

Radnor Elementary School, 20 Matsonford Road, Radnor

Monday, March 7, 6:30-8 p.m.

Ithan Elementary School, 695 Clyde Road, Bryn Mawr

Wednesday, March 16, 6:30-8 p.m.

Wayne Elementary School, 651 W. Wayne Avenue, Wayne

Administrators, School Board members and a representative from Breslin Architects began engaging residents in discussions about the district's development of a long-term facilities plan at a community forum on March 3 at RES. A second forum was held March 7 at IES and a final forum is scheduled for March 16 at WES.

Following a presentation from administrators and the architect at each forum that provided background on the project, attendees were invited to share their thoughts on the strengths of district buildings and programs; the needs of district buildings and programs; and how should RTSD best address facilities' needs understanding the ​current conditions of district buildings.

Among the strengths suggested were:

• Environmentally aware in building design
• General cleanliness and maintenance 
• Vast community use of district spaces
• Ability to accommodate small class sizes
• Innovative new courses (ex: K-5 STEM Special)
• Scale of IES feels made for elementary children 
• IES feels like a neighborhood school, community atmosphere
• IES outside/courtyard – greenspace, land, air flow 
• Highly desirable area to reside 
• Rankings 

• Small class size

• Work hard to be inclusive

• Natural elements and daylight at WES

• Windows in WES classrooms

• WES constructed to be more durable

Among the needs suggested were:

• Accessibility for all students
• Increased security
• Space for new classes and programs
• Space for joyful and creative interactions
• Improved traffic flow (vehicles and in halls)
• Difficulty to walk to school at IES, not accessible 
• IES security concerns, including open classrooms
• IES limited size and space means limitations to programs
• IES traffic flow 
• IES site circulation 
• IES “bones are poor”
• Parking and traffic flow at IES and WES
• New programming creates new challenges for space use
• Increase in enrollment and programming impacts common spaces like gyms and cafeterias
• Inadequate restroom facilities
• Sensory rooms too small in all buildings
• No dedicated space to conduct physical, occupational, speech, or other therapies
• Accessibility challenges
• Lack of storage