Beaver County, Pa. — The Beaver Valley Intermediate Unit (BVIU) Board of Directors is expected to vote later this month on borrowing up to $15 million to ensure New Horizon School reopens in time for the 2026–27 school year. Before the measure can move forward, however, each of Beaver County’s 14 school district boards must first approve the proposal. The BVIU Board is scheduled to consider the borrowing measure at its regular meeting on Jan. 28, following a nearly four-hour special session held Tuesday, Jan. 6. That meeting focused on finalizing details related to the project’s scope, financing, and timeline and included both BVIU board members and superintendents from the school districts that jointly own New Horizon.
During the meeting, Beaver County Commissioner Daniel Camp, who has attended public meetings on the project over the past year, informed BVIU board members that Beaver County will contribute $1 million toward the remediation effort. The contribution would be paid in $250,000 installments over the next four years. BVIU is grateful to Commissioner Camp and Beaver County leadership for their support of New Horizon School and its rehabilitation project.
BVIU Executive Director Dr. Eric Rosendale said the meeting was intended to provide clarity and encourage collaboration as districts consider next steps for the New Horizon building project. “We understand and appreciate that many of you have questions,” Rosendale said. “The goal of this meeting is to make sure we give you all the information that you need so that we can come to a consensus tonight to move this project forward.”
He emphasized the importance of district leadership participating in the discussion, explaining that “our board is joined by our superintendents, who will participate with us in our deliberations,” and adding that the invitation was extended “to maximize our time together” and ensure a shared understanding of the scope, costs, and potential path forward.
Representatives from SitelogIQ, the firm managing the project, along with building remediation firm PSI Intertek and BVIU’s financial partners, attended Tuesday’s meeting and answered detailed questions from board members and superintendents.
While some districts sought clarification about the project process and financing, all districts represented at the meeting stated their support for keeping New Horizon open. “We are encouraged by your unwavering support for students, staff, and their families,” said Dr. Rosendale,” and we are hopeful that we can move forward together.”
New Horizon School serves more than 170 students who have complex special needs and is jointly owned by Beaver County’s 14 public school districts. BVIU temporarily closed the school following the discovery of mold in August 2025. Subsequent remediation efforts also identified asbestos, significantly expanding the scope, cost, and urgency of the required work.
Investigations later determined the mold resulted from failing ventilation systems, deteriorated window casings, and other issues, requiring comprehensive system replacements rather than isolated repairs.
Since the closure, New Horizon has operated out of a leased former technical school in Midland. While the temporary location is significantly smaller and was not designed for students with severe and significant disabilities, it allowed students and staff to remain together and continue instruction. The lease on the Midland facility expires June 30, 2026, with no option to renew, creating an accelerated timeline for returning students to the New Horizon campus.
For more facts and information about the New Horizon School project, please visit this link on the BVIU website.