Credit: Souderton Area School District
The operations committee also heard a roughly $600,000 plan to expand three ongoing renovation projects at district schools
The Souderton Area School Board’s personnel committee Wednesday, January 14 reviewed proposals for two new high school electives.
One of the electives is a 1-credit Game Design course for grades 9-12. The course will teach “core elements students need to bring their imagination to life in gaming,” including visual effects, lighting, animation, audio, user interfaces and other creative skills.
“Students will discover how to use lighting, VFX, audio, and animation assets to craft dynamic environments, enhance character movements from basic to advanced and create stunning visual effects that captivate audiences,” reads the course description.
The second elective is a 0.5-credit Alternative Materials visual arts course for grades 9-12. The course will explore art “through unconventional materials and processes, encouraging experimentation and critical thinking” and teach students about “diverse media, techniques and conceptual approaches, fostering creativity and independent artistic expression,” according to the course description.
Both courses received unanimous approval from the committee and will be voted on by the full board at the January 22 action meeting, with implementation planned for the 2026-2027 school year.
Renovation projects
The operations committee heard a roughly $600,000 plan to expand three ongoing renovation projects at district schools. Highlights include kitchen and roof replacements, a water filtration system and a sewage ejection pump system at Salford Hills Elementary School, a water softener system, kitchen HVAC demolition and gym exterior wall repair at Indian Crest Middle School and a fire sprinkler head replacement at Indian Valley Middle School. The board will vote on the plan at its January 22 action meeting.
The committee also reviewed a proposal from Tarkett Sports for the reconstruction of the high school tennis courts. The proposal includes options for a $670,000 concrete base and a $789,000 asphalt base.
Tarkett Sports also presented a $577,000 project to resurface the Indian Crest Middle School and a $854,000 project to renovate the Indian Valley Middle School track.
The district plans to finance the projects through bond issuances. Final approval is slated for January 22, with construction planned for the summer.
Members also reviewed the proposed 2026-2027 school calendar, with the school year beginning on September 1 and ending on June 14. Superintendent Frank Gallagher said that a community survey will be mailed to parents to gather feedback on the calendar.
The next Souderton Area School Board meeting is on January 22 at 7 p.m. For more information, visit soudertonsd.org
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