A proposed 30-year easement for a recreational trail along Route 903 that would cross Jim Thorpe Area School District property has raised questions about the scope of land access and future development options.

The trail is part of Penn Forest Township’s effort to create a non-motorized multiuse trail connecting Penn Forest Park to Weiser State Park, the Route 903 commercial corridor and eventually down the mountain to Jim Thorpe.

The district approved a memorandum of understanding in November 2025 allowing the township to build, maintain and operate the trail across school property near Bear Creek Lakes. However, the trail project now requires a 30-year easement to qualify for grant funding, necessitating revisions to the agreement.

District officials sent a memorandum of understanding to attorney Carl Beard for review to ensure the district retains rights to the property.

“He would put in things that would allow us to still utilize that property, or if we ever wanted to sell it, if we ever wanted to build on it, we would have the ability to utilize that,” Superintendent Robert Presley said.

The trail would run from a park through district property to a proposed crosswalk location, eventually extending through Penn Forest. The path runs along Route 903 on district land and would be 10 to 12 feet wide.

A pedestrian crossing would include push-button activated traffic lights to stop vehicles when someone wants to cross.

“The only concern I have is the easement they’re asking for is 50 feet wide,” Charlie Dresher, Jim Thorpe’s director of building and grounds, said. “That’s extremely wide for a walking easement.”

Directors on Wednesday emphasized the importance of protecting the district’s future options.

“We don’t want to cut our own throats,” board member Gerald Strubinger said. “We could rent out a part of that property for a solar field, which could bring a lot of money into the district.”

Gym lights

In other facilities matters, the district will spend $7,000 to replace 16 outdated gymnasium lights at Penn Kidder that can no longer be repaired.

The manufacturer is no longer in business, and replacement parts are unavailable for the fixtures. The same lights are installed in the high school gym.

“They don’t make parts anymore,” Presley said. “Since we don’t really have a licensed electrician on staff here, we do have to go out to an electrician.”

The district replaced eight similar lights about two years ago for approximately $5,000. LED fixture prices have decreased since then, making the current replacement more cost-effective.

“These 16 will replace all of them,” Dresher said. “We’ll no longer have lights going out.”

The lights fail progressively, with portions burning out before complete failure.

The district plans to address remaining outdated lights in the high school gym after completing the Penn Kidder project.