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School District of Altoona

Creating Tomorrow Ready Citizens

Facility Progress

Facility Project

Our Needs:The Comprehensive Facility Study

 

The District worked with ATSR architects to review the condition of our facilities. Some of our biggest challenges are at the high school, including:

 

  • There is not enough space to meet student interest in science and business education.
  • Many classrooms are too small to support both small- and large-group instruction. 
  • The school lacks an auditorium or other space for large school and community events.
  • The cafeteria is too small to serve all of our students. Meals are served over several periods, which reduces time available for academic uses and complicates students’ schedules. 
  • The parking lot does not appropriately separate vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
  • The main entrance is not near the parking lot, making it difficult to properly monitor and control visitor access.
  • To see a summary of the critical repairs and access the complete facility study, click this link to view our document.

The Solution: A Long Range Facility Improvement Plan

 

The District created a long-range plan to address facility needs on the main campus. Addressing needs in phases gives the community a voice in prioritizing repairs and improvements and limits the financial impact on local taxpayers by completing the projects in phases over time. The phases include (in no particular order):

 

  • Critical mechanical and building repair and betterment needs.
  • An addition to include a science and business education wing, additional restrooms, parking lot expansion, security update, and a locker room at Oakleaf Stadium. 
  • An addition of an auditorium for school and community use, additional restrooms, additional parking, remodel of current music rooms.
  • An addition of a gym and fitness center for school and community use, additional restrooms, additional parking.
  • A visual of the long-range plan in its phases can be found below.
Aerial view of a school campus with a football stadium and various buildings, color-coded for different areas.

 

Phase 1: Critical Needs

 

In April of 2026, our community demonstrated its commitment to our students and schools by approving Phase 1 of our long-range facilities plan through the passage of a $15.6 million referendum to address critical needs. We are deeply grateful for the trust and support shown through the successful referendum in April. This important investment will allow us to address critical facility needs while enhancing the quality, safety, and learning environment of our main campus. As we begin this work, we are excited about the future and the opportunities this long-range plan creates for current and future generations of Altoona students. 

 

  • This referendum focuses on critical repair and betterment needs—not new programs or expansion.
  • The work addresses aging systems and infrastructure that students and staff rely on every day.
  • Making these repairs now is more cost-effective than waiting, when failures become emergencies and costs rise.
  • These investments protect community-owned facilities, support safe learning environments, and reflect responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.
  • The total project cost, inflated to April 2027, is $15,613,768.