Population Boom Coming to East Penn Schools

The East Penn School District needs to conduct a demographic study of its schools in anticipation of a coming population boom, superintendent Thomas Seidenberger said Monday.

Seidenberger said an uptick in the local housing market, combined with existing developments, will force the district to keep an eye on enrollment numbers in the next few months.

“Our reservoir of classrooms is not that great," Seidenberger told board members, noting that the Alburtis Elementary had five empty classrooms, while Macungie and Shoemaker schools had one each.   

He plans to have an updated enrollment report after the first 30 days of school. He recommended hiring the Pennsylvania Economy League to conduct a study of the district.

East Penn has seen a number of new developments either approved or proposed in recent years, including the Jaindl company's planned 700 acre project in Lower Macungie, which will include a mix of residential and commercial properties.