At Rose Tree Media School District, we are dedicated to ensuring every student receives a high-quality education. We prepare students to create meaningful and productive lives in a global society.

In the last six years, our district's communities have grown by more than 600 new homes, and this growth will continue each year. While the expansion of our community is exciting, it creates new challenges and opportunities for our district.

Our district’s four elementary schools are currently operating at or beyond full capacity. Come September, we will be using ten modular classrooms to accommodate our growing student population. This solution is not sustainable, and we can do better for our students, families, and community.

To address this challenge, Rose Tree Media School District is moving forward with plans to build a new K-1 Early Learning Center, designed specifically for kindergarten and first-grade students. This new school will be located to the south of Penncrest High School, near the intersection of Middletown Road and Rose Tree Road. The K-1 Early Learning Center will give young learners the environment they deserve, with full-day kindergarten, smaller class sizes, and age-appropriate learning and activity spaces, while alleviating overcrowding in our elementary schools. 

This website will provide one central location for our community to receive updates on design and planning for this new school, including Board presentations, an FAQ, and the project timeline. Please stay tuned as we move ahead with this process.

The Challenges We Face

The need is clear: enrollment is rising, and our elementary schools are out of space.

Growth and Enrollment
Are Accelerating

Enrollment continues to rise steadily in our school district, trending upward from the addition of 600 new homes in the past six years. 

Our Schools Are Full

Our elementary schools are already at capacity and cannot accommodate more growth. They lack the space to offer full-day kindergarten.

Overcrowding Impacts Learning

Overcrowded buildings, temporary modular classrooms, and repurposed shared spaces strain resources, limit student opportunities, and do not provide a sustainable, long-term solution. 

Moving Beyond Our Current Facilities

Finding a new path forward

Enlarging our current elementary school buildings is unrealistic, as the land, infrastructure, and building designs do not support expansion. 

Converting other buildings is costly and would not meet the needs of young children. Repurposed buildings lack the design elements essential for early childhood education and development, such as age-appropriate classrooms, accessibility features, and safe play areas. 

The district already owns land near Penncrest High School that is zoned for educational use, where the K-1 Early Learning Center will be built. 

The Plan: Creating a New K-1 Early Learning Center

More space, more support, more opportunity

Full-Day Kindergarten

The K-1 Early Learning Center will meet the rising demand for full-day kindergarten and support stronger early learning opportunities. 

Improved Learning Environment for all Elementary Schools

Fewer students at our current elementary schools will provide more space for students in our second through fifth grades.

Consistency for Young Learners

Keeping kindergarten and first grade together will give our youngest learners and their teachers stability, deeper relationships, and a consistent foundation.

Connected School Communities

Locating the new K-1 Early Learning Center near the high school will create opportunities for learning mentorship programs and shared resources that benefit students of all ages.

Dedicated Early Learning Environment

Classrooms, common areas, and activity spaces purposefully designed for 5- to 7-year-olds will allow them to explore, play, and grow in an environment tailored to their developmental needs.

Linking Learning to Life Program

The K-1 Early Learning Center will include a dedicated space for our Linking Learning to Life program, which serves students ages 18-21 with special needs and prepares them for successful futures and vocations. 

Next Steps

Our design and planning process from June 2025 through the fall will include opportunities for teachers, staff, families, and community members to learn more about the new school and provide feedback.

We plan to open the new K-1 Early Learning Center in time for the 2029/2030 school year. The 2029/2030 school year would be full-day kindergarten only.

Help Us Shape the Future

Your voice is essential to our planning process and will help shape the vision of the new K-1 Early Learning Center. Please contact the district with questions or input.

Rose Tree Media School Board Updates

  • During this session, the School Board heard updates about the project’s status:

    • The Early Learning Center project is still on track to open in 2029, and the project is transitioning from the Design Development into the Construction Documents phase.

    • Land development submissions have been accepted by Middletown Township after resolving an environmental impact assessment issue.

    • The project is still on budget however; the district is going through a value engineering process to prepare for potential cost increases.

    • Adjacent property owners will be notified of key land development meetings via certified mail and the District is committed to continuing to provide public updates through its normal communication channels.

    • A recording of the full presentation is available on our YouTube channel, and the slideshow presentation is available on the district’s website.

  • During this session, the School Board heard updates on the land development process:

    • A critical piece of neighboring property, approximately a quarter-acre, is required for the project's road realignment. The District and the church/property owner have had several meetings to try to reach an agreement, including exploring non-cash options like easements. An agreement has not been reached.

    • The church initially asked for $3 million for the land, which was later reduced to $1.5 million. The district’s independent appraisal valued the land at $83,000, which is far above fair market value.

    • Board members emphasized that the District wants to pay fair market value, not an inflated amount, and that this is about responsible use of public funds. The Board also noted that the road realignment has been part of PennDOT's long-term planning, so this was not a surprise development. Because the District cannot submit land development plans without documentation showing how the road issue will be handled, the board discussed two possible paths: 1) a memorandum of understanding with the property owner or 2) filing for eminent domain.

    • The District remains committed to finding an amicable solution with the property owner. The Board agreed to move forward with eminent domain if needed so the project would not be delayed further.

    • A recording of the full presentation is available on our YouTube channel, and the slideshow presentation is available on the district’s website.

  • During this session, the School Board heard updates on the land development process and traffic study findings:

    • The geotechnical reports and geothermal conductivity testing are now complete. The results confirm design assumptions, meaning the design of the geothermal system will proceed as planned.

    • The traffic study, which is being finalized, will have evaluated 13 off-site intersections based on current conditions and future conditions that reflect improvements planned by PennDOT for Hwy 352/US 1.

    • Interim improvements to the area will be needed to accommodate the planned K-1 Early Learning Center before PennDOT’s scheduled improvements are completed in the mid 2030s.

    • District leaders will pursue a realignment of Rose Tree Road that is consistent with the planned PennDOT improvements and will help address existing traffic issues in the area in the meantime.

    • Middletown Township requested that the project also consider ways to address potential traffic and access issues along Middletown Road.

    • To accommodate the additional time required for the land development process, the K-1 Early Learning Center is now expected to open for the 2029/2030 school year. 

  • During the meeting, the board reviewed:

    • Architectural renderings of the new K-1 Early Learning Center.

    • A summary of meetings with user groups in a variety of areas (including staff members in special education, IT, safety and security, food service, transportation, administration, and counseling), who shared input on the design of the K-1 Early Learning Center.

    • An update on the land development process, including a traffic study, stormwater management, sewer and wastewater management, and environmental and zoning compliance.

    • An update on the construction timeline, with estimated completion of the K-1 Early Learning Center in Aug. 2028.

    • A recording of the full presentation is available on our YouTube channel, and the slideshow presentation is available on the district’s website.

  • During the meeting, the board reviewed:

    • Site and building layouts for the new K–1 early learning center

    • Design concepts featuring bright, flexible, welcoming spaces for young learners

    • The estimated total construction cost: $84.0 million (includes building, site, design/contingency, and fees)

    • Community feedback that highlighted strong support for early learning, the importance of transparency and engagement, and traffic and safety concerns. 

    • A recording of the full presentation is available on our YouTube channel, and the slideshow presentation is available on the district’s website.

RTMSD Time to Bloom Updates

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Questions About the Plan

  • The Rose Tree Media School District is moving forward with plans to build a new K-1 Early Learning Center, designed specifically for kindergarten and first-grade students. The K-1 Early Learning Center will meet rising demand for full-day kindergarten, support stronger early learning opportunities, and alleviate overcrowding at our elementary schools.

  • The K-1 Early Learning Center will be located on land near Penncrest High School that is already owned by the district and zoned for educational use. Locating the new K-1 Early Learning Center near the high school will also create opportunities for learning mentorship programs and shared resources that benefit students of all ages.

  • Our four elementary schools are currently operating at or beyond full capacity. Come September, we will be using ten modular classrooms. Our elementary schools cannot accommodate more growth and lack the space to offer full-day kindergarten. 

    A dedicated K-1 early learning environment will allow 5- to 7-year-olds to explore, play, and grow in classrooms and activity spaces tailored to their developmental needs. Keeping kindergarten and first grade together will give our youngest learners and their teachers stability, deeper relationships, and a consistent foundation. 

  • Enlarging our current elementary school buildings is unrealistic, as the land, infrastructure, and building designs do not support expansion. 

    Purchasing and repurposing an existing building would be costly and would not meet the needs of young children. Repurposed buildings lack the design elements essential for early childhood education and development, such as age-appropriate classrooms, accessibility features, and safe play areas. Further, the district would need to purchase and rezone such a property, which is a long and expensive process. 

  • Our four elementary schools cannot accommodate a full-day kindergarten program due to overcrowding, and the buildings cannot be effectively expanded to meet our needs. 

Questions About Operations and Timeline

  • We plan to open the new K-1 Early Learning Center in time for the 2029/2030 school year. The 2029/2030 school year would be full-day kindergarten only. 

  • While we have not yet determined the school start and end times for the K-1 Early Learning Center, its hours of operation will be on a schedule staggered around the elementary schools’ schedules. We expect to have a tentative determination of K-1 Early Learning Center hours by the end of June 2026, with a finalized schedule in June 2027.

  • Additional staff will be needed for the K-1 Early Learning Center. Specific needs will be determined in the coming months.

  • Bus service will be provided for students to and from school. The bus schedule for the school will be determined by the school’s hours of operation, which will be staggered around our other schools’ hours of operation. We expect to have a tentative determination of K-1 Early Learning Center hours by the end of June 2026, with a finalized schedule in June 2027.

  • While we cannot guarantee that students will be grouped by their future elementary schools, we are committed to fostering strong social connections. The school will offer many opportunities for students to build friendships across diverse peer groups. Parents, teachers, and staff will be invited to share input on the school's social environment during the planning and design phase.

Questions About the Property

  • The Rose Tree Media School Board has approved an $11 million plan to move forward with a combined baseball/softball multi-use field with synthetic turf at Penncrest High School, an adjacent 80-space parking lot, and an additional synthetic turf field at Springton Lake Middle School. 

    Although this project is separate from the K-1 Early Learning Center, it is moving through the land development process at the same time. Coordinating the projects in this way allows the district to streamline permitting and approvals, minimize disruption, and align timelines and construction efforts.

  • We strongly encourage parents to use bus transportation instead of driving, as it helps reduce traffic around our schools.

    Site planning professionals are focused on ensuring efficient traffic flow and are coordinating with the Penncrest High School athletic field planning team. As of the May 8, 2025 Board Work Session, they are exploring options such as a new athletic field parking lot and a possible bus loop behind PHS. This could remove parent drop-off traffic from Rose Tree Road. These options are still being evaluated as part of the ongoing site and traffic planning process.

  • The township will be working in tandem with the construction professionals through a land development process to keep the project safe for all. Although a tree line will likely need to be removed from the property, the township’s replacement policy for trees will ensure vegetation to support the wildlife and the appearance of the property. A study of the habitat has shown no endangered species living on the property.

  • Several years ago, a site in Edgmont Township was identified and purchased by the school district for a new K-5 elementary school. Edgmont Township declined the opportunity to rezone the property for the district to construct the school. The Edgmont property has now been sold. 

Questions About the Project Cost

  • At present, the professionals designing and pricing the project have projected a cost of between $81 million and $82 million for approximately 120,000 square feet of building space. The district will sell bonds to borrow the funds to build the school.

Questions About Getting Involved

  • We want to hear from you. Please use the Connect Form above to share your questions or feedback about this project with the district.