Upper Dublin School District

A transportation facility is critical infrastructure for a public school district, enabling it to provide reliable transportation for all local students living within a designated distance of their school buildings. At Upper Dublin School District, we provide daily transportation for approximately 3,500 students, which includes students attending our public schools and 45 non-public schools, as required by Pennsylvania School Code. To effectively operate our transportation system, we employ approximately 50 staff members, including office staff, drivers, vehicle aides and mechanics. This page is intended to provide our community with an understanding of the project history, current conditions, the location in consideration, the community concerns and efforts to address them, and where the project currently stands.

Our current transportation facility is located at 275 New Jersey Drive and was leased as a temporary measure to facilitate the construction of Upper Dublin High School in 2008. Prior to the construction, the transportation facility was located at Upper Dublin High School, close to 309, where the current natatorium stands and was accessed via Loch Alsh Avenue. The lease on our current facility is set to expire on June 30, 2026. 

The current facility presents a host of challenges for our transportation operations, including but not limited to the following:

• Costs: Leasing the facility costs $500,000 annually, excluding maintenance and upgrades. Over the next 21 years, the lease could cost the district an estimated $14.75 million, assuming a 3% annual increase.

• Facility Ownership: Investing in improvements to a leased facility is not considered best practice, as the district does not own the property.

• Working Conditions: Our staff had been confined to a cramped 470 sq. ft. trailer with inadequate lighting until the installation of a double-wide trailer in June 2024. However, concerns still remain with restroom facilities, which are connected to a septic tank that requires weekly maintenance.

• Logistical Disruptions: The property is shared with another business using commercial vehicles, which causes interruptions to the flow of school vehicles.

• Security: The facility offers minimal security for valuable transportation parts and equipment stored on-site.

• Network Limitations: The facility cannot be connected to the district’s network, creating potential cybersecurity risks.

• Vehicle Maintenance: The warehouse storage facility has high noise levels, which creates a challenging work environment for vehicle mechanics.

• Unknown Risks: Leasing presents risks, including the possibility of the owner refusing lease renewal, selling the property, or leasing out additional portions of the facility.

See this video for a tour of the current facility conducted in January 2024. Please be aware that since the video was made, a double-wide trailer was added to the site to increase office space.

The location that has been primarily in consideration throughout this process is referred to as the ‘309 Site’. This is the portion of land located between Fort Washington Elementary School (FWES) and the Field of Dreams (FOD) with access from Loch Alsh Avenue and Highland Avenue. This site emerged as the leading choice because utilizing a district-owned property for our transportation facility better positions the district to minimize long-term costs and maximize resource utilization. The proposed site would include the following:

• Parking for 50 transportation and 10 grounds department vehicles.

• Parking for 50 staff members.

• Facility to support vehicle maintenance and storage of parts and supplies.

• Office space for staff and drivers that remain on-site between bus runs.

• Base infrastructure for electric vehicles.

• Meeting All Needs: The 309 Site and the renderings concept addresses all of the concerns presented by the current facility at 275 New Jersey Drive (outlined above).

• Long-Term Savings: Developing the 309 Site offers significant long-term cost savings. By avoiding the need to purchase a new property, we eliminate the financial burden of a new investment and prevent the loss of equity associated with leasing the current facility.

• Minimal Impact: Use of the 309 Site does not displace any current district or community activities or operations. It is a gravel lot, not used for any educational purpose.

• Potential for Electric Vehicles: By investing in the 309 Site, our district will have the electric service and underground infrastructure to facilitate a possible transition to electric vehicles, should this become a priority or a requirement in the future. This would align with the Upper Dublin Township's comprehensive goal to facilitate an eventual transition to renewable energy.

In response to community concerns about the 309 Site, other properties were reviewed before re-committing to it. The district engaged a licensed real estate agent, specializing in industrial and commercial real estate, to evaluate both for-sale and not-for-sale properties in Upper Dublin Township for consideration. Meetings were also conducted with Upper Dublin Township officials to advise on locations. There has been some confusion within the community regarding the idea that the Upper Dublin Township offered specific properties to the district for use as a transportation facility. To the district’s knowledge, and as confirmed by the Upper Dublin Township Manager, there has never been an offer of any land from the Upper Dublin Township to the Upper Dublin School District for the proposed transportation facility project.

Multiple sites were reviewed, and none were identified to have a facility or the land properties/allocation to sufficiently meet the district’s transportation needs. For reference, this presentation was given during the Finance Committee meeting on March 20, 2023 showing several of the properties considered and the reasons why they were not selected. Most sites required demolition of an existing building, which in combination with the cost of purchase, was projected to add approximately $4M to the project. There are also potential financial losses associated with the purchase of a new property, which would then be removed from tax rolls and result in reduced school tax revenue.

Properties outside of UD Township were not considered because of the additional time and costs associated with longer routes and the potential need for buses in emergency situations where time is critical.

Upper Dublin School District recognizes that there have been concerns presented by the community regarding the 309 Site. Throughout this process, the Board of School Directors has held discussions in public Finance Committee and Legislative meetings, giving our community the opportunity to share public comment on the project. Based on the feedback received, here we have outlined several of the concerns to address them:

The project is estimated to cost approximately $10.3M. The Board of School Directors will consider multiple funding options that could include issuing debt or utilizing available funds designated for capital projects. 

Updated February 28, 2025

Our district is currently in Phase I of a projected two-year project. See the four planned phases of the project here. Phase 1 was estimated to take 10-12 months and included (1) developing the final design documents, (2) requesting zoning variances, (3) completing the Township's land development process, and (4) preparing the required bid documents.

We reached Item 2: Requesting Zoning Variances in this process with an application to the Upper Dublin Township Zoning Hearing Board first submitted in July 2024. The district's request was in alignment with a 2008 ordinance permitting school bus storage and a repair garage as an accessory to a school when the property exceeds 25 acres and when the facility is at least 100 feet or more from residential uses. The variances requested included the following:

1. Accessory Structure greater than 600 square feet - The proposed facility is 10,500 square feet

2. Accessory Structure height greater than 22 feet - The proposed facility has a peaked roof that reaches 30 feet at its highest point

3. Parking commercial vehicles greater than 9,000 pounds - All school buses exceed this weight limit

4. Fence height exceeding 6 feet - Facility has a proposed 8 foot fence for security purposes

The Zoning Hearing Board issued its decision on January 27, 2025, declining all four of the requested variances with a 4-1 vote. Our district appreciates the Upper Dublin Township Zoning Hearing Board's extensive review of the application. This outcome will prompt further consideration of our next steps in securing a facility that supports the long-term financial interests of our school district and meets the needs of our transportation team, enabling them to provide the best possible services for the 3,500 students and their families who rely on them. These discussions will continue at the district’s Finance Committee and Legislative Board meetings.

At their February 24 meeting, the Board of School Directors voted 6-3 to begin the appeal process for the Zoning Board's decision on variances. This is the first step in a two-step process, required to be filed within 30 days of the Zoning Hearing Board's January 27 decision. The School Board will receive the Zoning Hearing Board's written decision with full details within 45 days, after which they will decide whether to proceed with the second step of the appeal. Another vote will be held before moving forward. Note: Montgomery County is the only county in the state with this two-step appeal process.