Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania High School Tech Center Gets $2.6m Renovation, Including District Data Center

The Career and Technical Center (CTC) at State College Area High School in Pennsylvania is undergoing a $2.6 million upgrade to bring the district's data center to the campus. The school administration approved the renovation on May 15. The CTC will be utilized for online education, Reclaiming Individual Talent (RIT) initiatives, and to house the district's information technology division once completed.

The estimated duration of the project's development is nine months. The budget can be further broken down as follows: $1.4 million for construction, $190,000 for plumbing systems, $642,400 for mechanical works, and $402,940 for electrical components, though fixtures, furniture, and equipment are reportedly not included. It is not anticipated that the total budget will exceed $3 million. Previous financing bonds have provided the project's funding. 

The current location of the district's IT department is the Panorama Administrative Center. As per SCASD, the move will provide a greater degree of accessibility for students and technology, as well as improved equipment storage and delivery access. The data center's capacity was not revealed. The CTC that will be renovated is located in the North Building of the High School. The building is 160,000 square feet and was constructed in 2019. Penn State University is within proximity to the school, which is the only high school within the SCASD.