With massive developments including hundreds of new houses underway in the southern portion of the district, Parkland School District officials are considering construction of a new building to accommodate the influx of students.

Jaindl and Fogelsville elementary schools, which serve the area of largest growth, will not have enough space for all the children moving into the new homes.

The issue was brought forth during a feasibility study report at the Oct. 27 school board meeting.

In March, the board authorized Stantec, an architecture and engineering firm with headquarters in Irvine, Calif., and offices in Pennsylvania to conduct the study at a cost of $165,300.

A committee of Parkland administrators worked with Stantec throughout the project.

The feasibility study took a comprehensive look at the district with an overview for the next decade.

Demographics were compiled and enrollments were projected for each Parkland school.

The capacity of each building was noted, and the number of available seats was given for each school.

Stantec concluded the northern elementary schools have a projected surplus of space, while the southern ones have a deficit, indicating the need for additional capacity to house increased enrollment in the south.

The study also took under consideration the district proposal to implement full-day kindergarten and its affect on classroom space in the schools.

Rob Pillar, of Stantec, presented seven options on ways to handle enrollment growth and full-day kindergarten throughout the district, along with estimated costs of each proposal.

Options included a variety of means to handle the situation, including additions to some existing schools, redistricting to attain a better balance, and all new construction.

One suggestion was for a new, 650-seat kindergarten center for the entire district with a price tag of $34.3 million. The cost of land acquisition was not included.

Another choice was to build a 400-seat kindergarten center for only the southern part of the district at a cost of $21.2 million.

Another proposal changed grade levels to kindergarten through fourth grade at the elementary level, fifth and sixth grades at Springhouse, and seventh and eighth grades at Orefield Middle School at a cost of $10.2 million.

The least expensive option at $4.6 million was to convert Fogelsville, Ironton, Parkway Manor and Schnecksville elementary schools to kindergarten through second grade and Kernsville, Kratzer, Jaindl and Cetronia elementary schools to third through fifth grades.

Pillar reported the committee preferred construction of a new kindergarten through fifth grade school in the southern section at a cost of $31.76 million.

The 90,000-square-foot building would maintain current grade level configurations and the concept of a community school for 600 students.

He noted from design phase through construction a new school takes about three years.

Even if a new school is approved by the board, Parkland will have to take measures to accommodate full-day kindergarten and increased enrollment until a new building is ready for occupancy.