CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. — The final land development plan for the new middle school to be constructed at the intersection of McKinley Street and Stauffer Avenue was presented to the borough council this week, as recommended by the planning and zoning commission.
The Chambersburg Area School District will be combining the North and South Chambersburg Area Middle Schools into one school that will be located at the current South middle school location.
The South campus will receive major renovations with the construction of a new three-story middle school building. The plan also includes upgraded facilities and fields for districtwide use, an expanded paved parking lot and a grass overflow lot with paved access to improve traffic flow during student pickup and drop-off.
A 2023 traffic impact study of the McKinley Street corridor also recommended medians, crosswalks or speedbump treatments on McKinley Street, including one across from the middle school, while existing curb and sidewalk networks along both streets will remain.
After the new building is completed, the old middle school will be demolished and the existing softball field removed. Chambersburg Area Middle School North will later be closed or repurposed, pending a final decision after additional studies.
Local tax increases if plan is approved
In response to a question about tax increases associated with this new project, Superintendent Christopher Bigger said the increase is expected to fall between 2 and 3 percent.
He noted that over the past three years, the district has received an additional $5 million annually in adequacy gap funding from the state. That funding is helping the district expand school programs while keeping tax increases within the 2 to 3 percent range.
“You will not see an outrageous tax raise; you’re not going to see out of the norm. If anything, you’re going to see it go down,” Bigger told the council. He added that, since 2007, Chambersburg school district taxes have increased by an average of 3.25 percent.
Bigger also outlined a 50-year outlook where consolidating two buildings into one would lower overall expenditure by reducing staffing needs and improving efficiencies in infrastructure costs, transportation and educational programs.
“When you look overall at our analysis, we are somewhere between $4.6 million to $8.2 million in savings. That’s just in the short-term, with less staff needed,” he said.
The project is expected to cost between $117.9 million and $131.9 million. Site approvals are anticipated by the end of the year, followed by bidding in January and February. The board is expected to approve bids in March, allowing construction to begin soon afterward.
The new campus is slated to open for the 2029-30 school year as part of the “Schools of Distinction by 2030” initiative. The plan will change the district’s grade structure and include construction of three new schools.
The new middle school will serve grades 7-8, while a new intermediate school will serve grades 4-6 and a new elementary school will serve grades K-3. Along with the consolidation of two middle schools into one, the district is reducing its 13 elementary schools to nine, eliminating five facilities overall.
The new middle school design is available on the CASD website: resources.finalsite.net/images/v1778508891/chambersburgk12paus/surnphhvyhw5ht9ym5hs/2026-05-12-BoardPresentationRLPS.pdf
