Credit: Wissahickon School District/Facebook.com
The expansion at Blue Bell Elementary School reached another milestone.
School board members, staff, families, students, the school mascot, and community members gathered at the school on Jan. 7 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The school band performed during the celebration (watch here).
This phase of completed construction includes a new cafetorium, classrooms, bus loop and parking areas. The new parking areas will help improve traffic flow, and address security concerns with an open building perimeter. The new bus loop will separate parent and bus drop-off to improve circulation.
“This amazing new space, especially our "cafetorium," is already making a huge difference,” said Principal Angela Farlow. “This addition is about more than just the space — it’s about creating the best possible environment for our students to learn, grow, and thrive.”
According to construction updates, the school will continue its upgrades as part of the expansion project. The existing multi-purpose room, stage, and kitchen area at the front of the building will be renovated into a new conference room, special education and emotional support classrooms, and a faculty planning area.
Blue Bell Elementary, part of the Wissahickon School District, serves more than 515 students in grades K-5. The existing Blue Bell Elementary school was built in 1955 and consists of four classroom wings with three open courtyards.
“The Blue Bell Elementary construction project, which began June 2023, will provide much needed classroom space, a new multi-purpose room and updated facilities to accommodate our growing enrollment,” it states on the website.
The project is led by Breslin Architects.
“The Wissahickon School District was faced with the need to increase building capacity as well as provide modern core facilities comparable to the District’s other elementary schools,” Breslin said on its website. “As a community elementary school, maintaining the character of the property and existing school were a priority while improving traffic flow and student safety.”
