Bishop Ahr High School plans to get bigger next year.
Edison Township officials granted the school permission to build eight new classrooms and a new gymnasium onto the back of the current school building located on Tingley Lane at the Plan-ning Board meeting on Dec. 15.
The additions were originally approved by the board in 1994. However, changes to the plan forced the school to appear before the board once again.
The location of the gymnasium was moved to the end of the addition instead of the middle where it was located on the original plans, said school officials.
The change in the plans was made to benefit the boys and girls sports teams, school officials told the board.
Funding for the addition has just been acquired by the school, and they plan to start construction soon.
Four of the classrooms will be used to teach technology, said Sister Donna Marie Trukowski, school principal. The administration has not decided what classes will be held in the other four classrooms.
The new gymnasium will offer more options for busy girls and boys sports programs, she said.
"At this time in history, boys and girls sports are very active extracurricular activities," Sister Trukowski said.
The school building is "at capacity" with 910 students and about 100 employees, she said.
The variance the school was required to obtain from the board was for the number of parking spaces the school would provide for students and faculty.
The school will now have 367 parking spaces where over 1,000 would normally be required.
Not all students drive to school and the school can limit the number of students allowed to drive to just seniors if it wishes, Sister Trukowski said. Therefore, the lack of parking spaces will not negatively affect the school.
The school is going out to bid to try to find contractors to build the addition, she said. The ground breaking is expected to be in the spring.
— Maura Dowgin