Construction at Keith Valley Middle School continues to move forward as crews make significant progress on the demolition of the old building and site preparation for the new facilities.
Officials gave an update on the construction project at the January Hatboro-Horsham School District school board meeting.
The administration building has been completely leveled, and overall demolition is proceeding smoothly. One of the more complex challenges involves the removal of transite panels, a type of asbestos-containing material, from underground utility tunnels. These panels form part of the concrete trench ceiling and must be removed carefully due to their proximity to electrical conduits.
Officials say the proposed removal process will involve saw cutting the concrete slab containing the transite panels, then safely lifting and transporting them to a regulated disposal site. The estimated cost for this specialized work is expected to exceed $100,000 and will be considered at the Jan. 26 school board meeting. The project’s contingency fund currently sits at around $1 million, though the final cost is expected to be lower. Environmental consultant Element Environmental, which has experience handling transite panels, is overseeing this portion of the project.
Meanwhile, punch lists for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems are nearly complete, and HVAC systems have been adjusted to account for the winter weather.
Athletic Field Construction
Athletic field construction is also underway. Soil removal and grading for multiple fields, including football, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, softball, and baseball, are in progress. While standard seeding would delay field use until fall 2027, the district is considering a proposal to install sod across all fields, which could allow students to use the fields by spring 2027.
The sod installation is estimated to cost approximately $139,000, with an additional $19,000 to cover the track’s inner area, bringing the total to around $158,000. The process requires watering throughout the summer to ensure successful growth. The baseball field’s sod may be delayed slightly due to retaining wall construction.
For the past three years, student athletes have been practicing off-site, making early field access a top priority to reduce disruptions to instruction and extracurricular activities.
