Trinity Area School District is building an extension to its middle school for the fourth and fifth grades that should be completed for the 2024-2025 school year. This extension is being made in hopes to accommodate the population increase the Trinity School district is facing. The elementary schools will be adapted to house kindergarten through third grade. 

This extension might interfere with middle school classes and sports practices that would normally occur at the middle school facility. A big worry with building an extension like this is how much change it will create for the kids who have to go through it. 

“All change is hard, but I think once you get one set of students through it, it will be normal for everyone else,” said German teacher Herr McLaughlin.

 Along with this extension, there are plans to renovate the current pool area at the middle school. A new deck and gallery seating are set to be the biggest additions. 

When asked why he thought the school finally decided to renovate the pool, Swim Coach Mr. Modrak stated, “I think the strong performance of the team over the past five years, especially considering the removal of the middle school curriculum requirement, has made people aware of the potential of swimming in our district. Plus, with the majority of schools in WPIAL getting new facilities, we didn’t want to be left behind.” 

The pool was originally built with the middle school in 1972 and hasn’t been remodeled since. 

 “It’s exciting, and I hope that we can utilize this renovation as a force to look at reinstating swimming classes, if, for nothing else, for drowning prevention,” explained Modrak. 

When debating whether this extension was an advantage to the fourth and fifth graders freshman Collin Berry stated, “I think it is an advantage to them simply because there will be more space.” 

More space will give Trinity the room that it needs to hopefully correct the population boom the school district is facing now. 

Although not much information has been released regarding any more of the plan for the extension, Facilities Director Mr. Aaron Scott (ascott@trinityhillers.net) will soon know more about what is to come with the intermediate school.