ADAMS TWP., Pa. — Construction crews have begun early site preparation work for the $21.4 million expansion of Mars Area Elementary School, marking the first visible phase of a project designed to address growing enrollment in the district. Mars Area Elementary School is located along Route 228 in Adams Township and serves students in kindergarten through fourth grade.
Workers are currently preparing the construction site adjacent to the existing school building. According to the project’s site manager, crews are grading the area and preparing the ground ahead of the next major phase of construction.
Foundation work for the new addition is expected to begin next week and will take approximately a month to complete.
Once completed, the expansion will add significant classroom and program space and support the district’s long-term plan for reorganizing grade levels across its elementary schools.
The project officially began in December when Mars Area School District officials, school board members and project partners participated in a ceremonial groundbreaking at the site. Actual construction activity began in recent weeks as crews started grading the site and preparing the ground for the building’s foundation.
Major classroom expansion planned
The project will include construction of a new three-story classroom wing, along with a new cafeteria and kitchen area. Additional renovations inside the existing building will create expanded STEAM learning space and a larger guidance suite.
Exterior improvements will also be made to improve traffic flow and safety around the school campus.
Plans call for:
- a new parent drop-off and pick-up area in front of the building
- improvements to the “Little Dipper” access road
- reconfiguration of Doc’s Way
- a new cross-site roadway along the southern edge of the campus
- additional parking areas.
Part of long-term facilities plan
The expansion project grew out of a comprehensive planning process conducted by a community action committee that met over several months in 2023 and early 2024 to study the district’s future facility needs.
The committee recommended expanding Mars Area Elementary School as part of a broader plan to accommodate increasing enrollment and modernize elementary facilities.
Once the project is completed, the district plans to house grades kindergarten through third grade at Mars Area Elementary School, while fourth grade students would move to Mars Area Centennial School following a future expansion project at that building.
Project rebid lowered costs
The school board approved bids for the project in October after rebidding the work earlier in the year when initial construction estimates came in higher than expected.
The rebid process helped reduce the overall project cost to $21,399,289.
District officials said the reduction was largely the result of increased competition among contractors during the second round of bidding.
Expected completion in 2026
Early construction activity will continue through the spring as crews complete foundation work and begin structural construction of the new classroom wing. The work marks the transition from site preparation to the structural phase of construction.
Construction is expected to continue through the 2025-26 school year, with the project scheduled for completion in December 2026.
