JACKSON TWP — After two months of discussion, the Seneca Valley School Board is getting close to making a decision on an architectural firm to design the new or renovated Evans City Elementary and Middle schools.

The vote on the favored firm was deferred last month so the board could get more information and continue to talk. Two more school directors gave their two cents on what firm they were leaning toward at Monday's school board meeting.

The Rev. Reid Moon, who was absent at the September work session meeting where the discussion took place, said CannonDesign stood out to him for its ties to the community and its location in Pittsburgh.

“I want the relationship between our architectural firm and the school board and the Seneca Valley community to be a very good one, and for that reason I really appreciated what CannonDesign was bringing to the table,” Moon said.

CannonDesign, Architectural Innovations, Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates and Stantec presented information and answered questions from the school board over two nights in August. The board discussed the four firms in depth at its Sept. 11 work session.

The architect chosen will explore various options for the Evans City school, which houses students in grades kindergarten to six.

Those options include renovating the current building, constructing a new school at the Evans City site or building a new school on Ehrman Road in Cranberry and Jackson townships. The board has not committed to any design direction yet.

CannonDesign and Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates came out as the two favorites from the discussions last month after Jim Nickel, school board president, asked for board members to name their top two choices.

Fred Peterson deferred naming his favorites at the September meeting but gave his opinion Monday after having more time to think.

“I am more convinced that CannonDesign in their presentation had the most concern for the community,” Peterson said.

Although Peterson warned that the board needed to be careful about using CannonDesign's partner, the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, as what may work in a museum might not work in a school setting.

Nickel said he'd like to take action on the item at the board's next meeting on Oct. 16, voting to choose one firm with which to begin negotiations for the design of the Evans City school.