Cheltenham School District board approves permanent closure of Elkins Park School

The Cheltenham School District Board of School Directors voted to approve the administration's recommendation to permanently close Elkins Park School beginning with the 2025–26 school year during a hybrid special meeting on May 27, 2025. The motion was made by board member Daniel Schultz and seconded by Zachary Epps; the board carried the measure by voice vote after a public hearing on Feb. 26 and a 30-day written comment period that the administration said produced no written comments.

The final administrative plan approved by the board keeps rising fifth-graders in neighborhood elementary schools for 2025–26, relocates the district's EPIC (Empowerment Program in Cheltenham) to a newer wing of the Elkins Park building, and moves rising sixth-graders into modular classrooms for the 2025–26 school year (with sixth grade remaining at the modular site for 2026–27). The modular placement is intended to allow construction of a new sixth-grade wing at Cedar Brook Middle School, scheduled for completion in fall 2027.

"Our final recommendation is for school closure, and this has shifted from our February 26 recommendation slightly," Doctor Savage said while presenting the administration's finalized proposal and implementation details. The presentation included classroom and staffing reassignments, special-education adjustments, extracurricular plans, transportation and food-service arrangements, and a moving timeline.

Why it matters: the decision restructures where grades 5 and 6 will be housed, alters staffing assignments across elementary schools, and advances two capital projects the district said are needed to right-size capacity: a 19-classroom addition at Cedar Brook Middle School and a six-classroom (approximately 8,000 sq. ft.) addition at Glenside Elementary School. District presenters said those construction projects are slated to be bid in winter 2025, begin in 2026 and target completion in fall 2027.

Key elements of the approved plan

- Students and grade placement: Rising fifth-graders will remain in their elementary schools for 2025–26. Rising sixth-graders will relocate to modular classrooms for 2025–26 and continue there in 2026–27 while construction proceeds at Cedar Brook Middle School.

- EPIC program: EPIC will be relocated into a 1991-built wing of the Elkins Park School that the administration described as being in good condition and suitable to house the program's classrooms and offices while remaining separate from the high school.

- Staffing: The district said all Elkins Park staff and faculty have received preliminary reassignments. The administration recommended reassigning assistant principals from Elkins Park and from a climate-and-culture post into the largest elementary schools (Shelton, Wincoke, Glenside). Myers Elementary will receive a fully released teacher on assignment. The administration said it has been coordinating these moves with the Cheltenham Education Association and will continue to consult on master schedules and contractual obligations.

- Special education and program changes: The plan includes adding an autism support classroom at Glenside Elementary so each elementary school will have autistic support, redistributing learning-support teachers to meet caseloads, and maintaining ESL services and counseling. The district also intends to separate gifted and STEM roles (separate gifted and STEM teachers) and to add a STEM encore class K–5.

- Arts and extracurriculars: The district said it will maintain and expand instrumental music at the elementary level; a band teacher from Elkins Park will support band instruction at grades 4–5 and a strings teacher hire will support strings. After-school activities (extra duty, extra pay units) will continue at the modulars and portions will move into elementary schools where feasible. The Elkins Park gym and library will remain available for students during the transition period.

- Operations and logistics: Food services provider Whitsons will use the Elkins Park kitchen to prepare meals for students at the modulars and EPIC. The district plans a color-coded tagging system for furniture and personal items; boxes have been distributed and the administration said it is onboarding roughly 30 summer movers via a vendor called Kelsey Services. District staff will use the last in-service day (June 20) for final classroom moves rather than asynchronous professional development.

- Communication and next steps: The administration said it would post FAQs and a landing page on the district website and send letters and principal newsletters to families after the board's vote. The district also said it will continue scheduling meetings with employee bargaining representatives to finalize schedules and contractual details.

Board discussion and vote

Board member Daniel Schultz praised the administration and staff for the level of detail in the plan, saying, "This really it's rare that I see fiscal responsibility, community input, and optimal student outcome locking in together the way that that you all have managed to make it lock in together." Zachary Epps highlighted three improvements since the Feb. 26 hearing — special accommodations for students with special needs, mitigation of transition impacts (for example, adding counselors and assistant principals), and clarification of EPIC's location and staffing.

Multiple board members thanked administrators, principals and staff for outreach to families, PTOs and unions. Dr. Whiting described the transition as a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and emphasized supports for fourth- and fifth-graders who experienced disrupted early schooling during the pandemic.

The motion to approve the plan was made by Daniel Schultz and seconded by Zachary Epps. The board voted by voice; the chair declared the measure approved. The administration said it would prepare and distribute communications to families and staff following the vote.

What the board relied on and legal process

The chair read that the board had conducted a public hearing on Feb. 26, 2025 and, citing "section 7 7 80 of the Pennsylvania school code" as the statutory framework noted by the administration, recommended that the board vote publicly to approve the plan. The administration also stated that it received no written comments during a 30-day written comment period following the Feb. 26 hearing.

Implementation risks and dependencies

District presenters identified dependencies on the Cedar Brook and Glenside construction timelines, township approvals for land development and potential parking solutions near Myers and Wincoke elementary schools, and continued labor negotiations around schedules and assignments. The Cedar Brook addition and the Glenside addition were described as separate capital projects that must proceed on schedule for the district's full transition plan to be completed by fall 2027.

Votes at a glance

- Motion: Approve the administration's plan for the permanent closure of Elkins Park School beginning with the 2025–26 school year. Mover: Daniel Schultz. Second: Zachary Epps. Outcome: approved by voice vote. (No roll-call tally was read into the record.)

The district said it will publish further details on timelines, specific staff assignments and frequently asked questions on its website and distribute letters to families following this vote.