Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

PA High School to Undertake 24M in Accessibility Upgrades to Sports Fields

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 03/29/21

After four years of discussions and stakeholder input, a high school in Pennsylvania is undertaking a $24.4 million project to improve its accessibility. Radnor High School, part of Radnor Township School District, recently received board approval to begin its "accessibility and wellness infrastructure project." The money will come from a capital reserve fund.

The investment in inclusive design will cover upgrades to outdated and inaccessible facilities at two sports fields, including new bleachers and seating on both fields, new walkways/ramps and an adequately-sized concession stand/field house between the fields, as well as to the RHS pool area, fitness room and locker rooms/bathrooms, among other areas.

Radnor High School Accessibility Upgrades

The high school has an enrollment of 1,229, of which nearly 8 in 10 students use the facilities as athletes and members of the marching band and color guard. The fields are also used by the community, including soccer, track & field and lacrosse clubs, as well as summer camps and other groups.

The principles of inclusive design call for solutions that emphasize such user qualities as:

  • Equity
  • Flexibility
  • Simplicity and intuition
  • Low physical effort

Groundbreaking is expected to take place in April, and completion is scheduled for fall 2022.

"What we're seeing [with this project] is truly the vision and voice of so many that have come together to represent the needs of our entire community," said Principal PT Kevgas in a statement. "The beauty of this project is that it really aligns perfectly with two of our district initiatives: our wellness initiative; and our diversity, equity and inclusion initiative."

"This project is about awareness, empathy, inclusion and excellence," added Radnor parent Tim Henkel, who served as a member of the project's steering committee. "It is a reflection of what we experience now at the RHS facility and what we imagine ourselves to be. The improvements that have been designed and budgeted are all necessary for Radnor to become a welcoming, inclusive, safe environment to all its students and visitors."

To help the project gain acceptance, the project's design firm, Breslin Architects, developed an animated schematic to show what the improved campus would look like.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Wisconsin District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    The School District of La Crosse in La Crosse, Wis., recently broke ground on a new elementary school that will consolidate the students and staff of two existing schools, according to local news. Funding for the school comes from a $53-million referendum approved in 2024.

  • University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Launches New Emergency Communications System

    The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) recently deployed a new emergency notification and incident management system for its campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with 911Cellular to launch Safe@UTC, a smartphone app allowing university officials to communicate and respond during emergency situations.

  • Classical building columns display digital data streams

    The Campus Nervous System: Why Facilities Risk Is Now a Leadership Issue in Higher Education

    Facility performance now intersects with safety, compliance, on-campus experience, institutional reputation, and financial resilience. That places it firmly on the leadership agenda.

  • Wold Architects & Engineers Acquires VPS Architecture

    Full-service planning, architecture, and engineering firm Wold Architects & Engineers recently announced that it has acquired VPS Architecture, according to a news release. The move will help strengthen Wold’s education and public-sector design expertise, industries in which both companies have strong pre-existing ties and relationships.