Steel Valley elementary students currently learning in buildings constructed before World War I will soon have a new school on the district’s Munhall campus.
On Thursday, school directors officially approved the construction of a new elementary school. This new facility will bring the district’s youngest learners, currently split between two buildings, under one roof. It will be built on the site of the former Franklin Primary school, which is currently used by district administration and will be demolished in the coming months. The new school will be connected to the district’s combined middle and high school.
“This development will not only allow our students to learn together under one roof throughout their entire school career, but also enhance safety and security,” said board President James Bulger. “Additionally, it will provide a great working environment for our teachers and staff, ensuring the best possible educational experience for our community.”
The new building will accommodate 690 students in kindergarten through fifth grade, providing flexible classroom spaces for art, music, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) curriculum. It will also include dedicated rooms for autistic and emotional support, as well as life skills. The design allows for both small and large group learning and includes community spaces that can be used outside of school hours.
“While we certainly understand the financial implications, we feel that this is the best option to provide the most stability for our long-term capital investments,” said board Vice President Daniel Rojtas. The new school, he added, will “provide a much safer, more accessible and healthier environment for all of our students and staff, thus enhancing everyone’s ability to reach their full potential.”
Thursday’s motion awarded Strip District-based Rycon Construction a general construction contract costing nearly $31 million. This decision came three years after district officials began working on an elementary school project with Mount Lebanon-based architecture firm DRAW Collective.
Architects conducted evaluations of Barrett Elementary in Homestead, built in 1934, and Park Elementary in Munhall, constructed in the early 1900s. They found significant barriers to renovating or expanding either building, leading the district to consider constructing a new school, which DRAW Collective began designing in July 2022.
Since then, the architecture firm has worked with community stakeholders, including current Steel Valley elementary school teachers and a community advisory board, to collect input for the project. The goal of the new school is to address long-standing educational, facility, and staffing inequities while enhancing student and staff safety and equipping students with the tools needed to thrive in middle and high school.
Work on the project will begin this summer with the demolition of Franklin Primary. The new school is expected to be completed by August 2026, in time for the start of the 2026-27 school year. District officials plan to repurpose Barrett Elementary and demolish Park Elementary, with the property to be sold for redevelopment.
Superintendent Bryan Macuga called the project a “historic achievement” for the district. “As superintendent,” Mr. Macuga said, “this new school, this project, that carries our history and vision for the future, has been humbling, challenging, and an absolute honor.”