The West Chester Area School District wants to replace temporary modular classrooms at E.N. Peirce Middle School with permanent construction. West Goshen Township residents will get their say at a public hearing Monday, Oct. 19.

The township's Board of Supervisors will hold the hearing at 6 p.m. at the West Goshen Township Building, 1025 Paoli Pike, West Chester. The session is a standalone conditional-use hearing, separate from the board's regular monthly meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 20, according to the township calendar.

The district filed a conditional-use application for the school at 1314 Burke Road under the township's zoning ordinance. No approval has been granted, as MyChesCo first reported.

Beyond swapping the modular units for permanent classrooms, the project would add new learning areas and administrative space and renovate the school's kitchen. Outside the building, the district plans changes to the parking lot and access driveway and new stormwater-management facilities.

The school has a history of outgrowing its space. The current building opened in September 1998 on a 26.68-acre site at a cost of $15.2 million, designed for 1,000 students, according to the school's website. It filled up fast. A two-classroom addition went up in 2002, another in 2003, and the cafeteria was expanded from a capacity of about 330 to 400. The modular classrooms the district now seeks to replace were part of the effort to keep pace with enrollment growth.

At the hearing, supervisors can approve the conditional use, attach conditions, deny the request or continue the hearing to a later date.

The application is available for public review at the township's administrative offices, 1025 Paoli Pike, Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Fridays by appointment. Residents can also check meeting details on the township's online calendar.