The History of Spring-Ford High School

Explanation of the Spring-Ford Coat of Arms

Spring-Ford was created in 1954. Before 1954, there were, instead, four separate school districts serving the municipalities of Royersford, Spring City, Upper Providence Township and Limerick Township and two very proud rival junior/senior high schools: Spring City and Royersford.

In the spirit of cooperation and sharing, the mighty rivals came together. Thus, in 1955, the Spring-Ford Area School District was created.

Both the Spring City and Royersford buildings were junior/senior high schools, therefore the Spring City school was designated as the joint junior high building, and the Royersford building became the temporary Spring-Ford Senior High School. The 1955-56 school year produced Spring-Ford's first graduating class.

Overcrowding in the schools, however, required immediate attention. Thus, plans to construct a new Spring-Ford High School were soon underway. The School Board began negotiations to purchase land adjacent to the Royersford building the summer of 1955 and H.F. Everett Associates of Allentown was selected as architect for the project. In 1958, the district broke ground on Lewis Road for a new high school. The dedication and open house for the building was held January 24, 1960. From the on, the building would serve as the Spring-Ford High School until the graduation of the Class of 1999.

Overcrowding in schools during the late 1980's and the 1990's spurred the Spring-Ford Board of Administration to again look at the adequacy of all district schools. After intensive facility studies by three district Facilities Committees, they decided that the creation of a new Spring-Ford Area High School would help relieve overcrowding in the district and provide students and teachers with state-of-the-art facilities to foster an ideal educational environment.

Nearly 40 years later, we celebrate the dedication of a new Spring-Ford Area High School. One that is equipped to access the world from every classroom and provide students with the optimum tools for maximum learning.

The opening of the new high school in the Fall of 1999 has helped Spring-Ford Area School District meet the educational needs not only of its students in grades 9 through 12, which reside here, but also at every other level. Since 1991, the district has grown by more than 1,700 students, an increase of 49%. The high school has grown by nearly 400 students, or 37%. The dramatic enrollment increases at all grade levels have kept the district in a constant state of adaptation. Completion of the new Spring-Ford High School provides the District with the flexibility to meet the educational needs at all grade levels.

With the start of the 1999-2000 school year and the opening of the new high school, the former high school building became Spring-Ford Middle School and home to the district's 7th and 8th grades. The former middle school building became Spring-Ford Intermediate School and serves grades 5 and 6, thus pulling grade five out of the elementary schools and providing those schools with more room to serve their ever-growing enrollments. All five district elementary schools-- Brooke, Limerick, Royersford, Oaks and Spring City-- now hold kindergarten through grade 4. In 2003 this would grow to six elementary schools with the addition of Upper Providence.

With the Information Age upon us and approaching a new millennium, technological advances having had an unprecedented impact upon education. Much as the Space Race precipitated a worldwide focus on math and science, technological advances have changed the way the world does business, consequently, the way our schools must prepare their students to compete in a global economy. The new Spring-Ford Area High School is equipped to meet the challenge.

To ascertain that the facility could keep pace with an ever-evolving world, technological capabilities were a primary concern incorporated into the design of the building.

When moving into the new high school, Mr. Fabel was in his 14th year as principal of Spring-Ford High School. Having spent 33 years in the district--at various stages as a social studies teacher, head wrestling coach, assistant football coach, middle school principal, assistant high school principal, and high school principal--he saw what it takes to be a successful educator in nearly every meaning of the word. He was quick to point out that it was extensive staff input that helped to create the state-of-the-art institution.

"The entire staff participated in the design and development of this building. The ideas came from the professional and support staff who worked in each department," said Mr. Fabel.

Consequently, not only is the new school technologically advanced, but also structurally designed to meet diverse needs of each academic area. For example, science rooms have both lecture and lab areas in the same classroom to provide the optimum environment for teachers to teach and students to learn. Computer labs offer state-of-the-art instruction in what , along with the "Three Rs," has become the new basic skill required of today's graduates. Art rooms are designed with maximum potential, the auditorium boasts advanced lighting and sound systems for performing arts, and even physical education elements-- a main, auxiliary and remedial gymnasium, fitness center, training suite aimed team rooms--promote optimum development of students' physical and intellectual being.

So, as the students and staff of Spring-Ford Area High School turn the corner of another century, they can move forward in confidence knowing that their school is much more than just a building. It is rather a finely designed tool that has both equipped and prepared them to face the challenges of evolving times.

The pace of residential growth in the district continues and just six years later in the Fall of 2005, the ninth grade is moved back across the street into the previous Middle School (old high school till 1999). The seventh and eighth grades have been relocated to new buildings. The 7th grade has been moved to a new building off Lewis Road and the 8th grade to the newly remodeled Middle School (5-6 grade building) on Washington Street.