The kindergarten through eighth-grade school occupies 4.51 acres along the Sterling Highway. Chapman School faces ever-increasing enrollment with limited room to grow, leading to congested parking and crowded classrooms.
Borough officials say private properties around the school limit expansion options. But the borough assembly just set aside $850,000 to buy 6.6 of those acres, creating space for future growth and enhancing safety.
Several community members told the Assembly they’re afraid of highway traffic so close to the student pick-up/drop-off area.
The Anchor Point community was anticipating changes that would address the safety issue after voters passed Proposition #2, a school improvement bond, in 2022. The bond included $5.5 million to improve student drop-off areas at five schools on the peninsula. Since then, Chapman principal Heidi Stokes said the problem has only gotten worse as enrollment increases.
“The hazards have only increased, with even more families having to wait on the highway in the morning and the afternoon,” Stokes said.
Some of the additional land will be used to improve the situation.
Stokes said space inside the school itself is limited, too. The only space left to expand is the playground.
“Which has already been reduced with the addition of staff parking where the basketball court used to be and a portable where students used to play four square. This is unacceptable,” Stokes said.
Once the land is purchased, Borough Mayor Peter Micciche said the borough will work with the Chapman School site council and community to plan safety improvements, potentially using bond funds.
“We are securing it now so that we can begin that plan going forward. But it is land management dollars, general fund dollars, that are covering the purchase at this point, and then we'll begin the planning process,” Micciche said.
Some community members questioned the high purchase price compared to the land’s assessed value, which Micciche said can be misleading. He explained that assessed value is for tax purposes and is often lower than the appraised value used for financing or the fair market value, which is the price agreed upon by buyer and seller.
Micciche said the price aligns with similar properties, given its commercial frontage on the Sterling Highway and proximity to the school. He said the new land purchase would improve safety for Chapman families and provide space for growth.
