In January, the Tredyffrin-Easttown School District approved a tentative proposal to purchase a Berwyn corporate office building to convert into a new elementary school, writes Jesse Bunch and Maddie Hanna for The Philadelphia Inquirer. 

The goal of creating a sixth elementary school in the Chester County district is to alleviate the burden of the rising number of school-age children. Additionally, they would like to offer full-day kindergarten and special needs programs.  

Post-COVID, the need for office buildings has decreased, with remote and hybrid work gaining in popularity. With a struggling commercial real estate market, these office-to-school conversions could be a perfect solution.  

Proposals such as Tredyffrin-Easttown have occurred “relatively rarely, as schools were often priced out of the opportunity to purchase commercial facilities when they were in high demand,” said Hannah Barrick, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials.

Before construction can begin, Tredyffrin-Easttown will have to prove that the proposal is feasible. In January, the school district put down a six-figure deposit with Brandywine Realty Trust, the building’s owner. After a period to assess the building, the school district will have the option to purchase the property for $15.95 million. 

Read more about Tredyffrin-Easttown’s new elementary school proposal at The Philadelphia Inquirer.

______