Littlestown Board Weighs Proposed ACTI Land Purchase

The Littlestown Area School Board’s June 22, 2026 discussion of Adams County Technical Institute centered on a proposed land purchase—not approval of a new technical-school campus.

ACTI is considering the purchase of a 67-acre property near New Oxford that could become the site of a future expanded campus. The property remains under contract. ACTI Executive Director Sean Eckenrode told the board that purchasing the property would help preserve a $500,000 Adams County grant, while emphasizing that the land transaction would not commit participating school districts to constructing a building.

The county’s January 9, 2025 agreement with ACTI provides $500,000 for a career and technical center in Adams County and runs through December 31, 2026. That timing helps explain why ACTI is evaluating the land transaction now. It is not a construction deadline, and buying the property would not by itself approve a campus, financing plan or construction project.

What the proposed purchase would decide

A land purchase would secure a potential site for future countywide career-and-technical education expansion. It would not establish the size of a future building, the final program list, the financing plan, operating budget or construction schedule.

ACTI’s long-term planning materials say participating districts have considered alternatives, including satellite programs at high schools and leasing additional space. The planning page says ACTI has continued exploring a centralized technical school as the preferred approach, but the broader project remains under development.

Questions raised by Littlestown directors

School directors questioned how a future project could affect participating districts’ capital and operating costs. They also raised transportation logistics, wetlands and other site conditions, alternative locations, and whether satellite programs could provide technical opportunities at a lower cost than a centralized facility.

ACTI officials said studies conducted over several years concluded that a centralized technical school could be more cost-effective and operationally efficient than spreading programs across multiple districts. That is ACTI’s planning position, not a final decision adopted by Littlestown or the other participating districts.

The potential costs extend beyond construction. A future facility could require participating districts to address debt, operating expenses, transportation and equipment. Those decisions could affect school budgets, families and students across Adams County, including Littlestown, but the financial structure has not been settled.

What Littlestown residents should watch next

Future decisions would involve ACTI’s Joint Operating Committee and the participating school districts. ACTI’s governance materials identify Littlestown Area School District representatives on the committee and state that major matters such as selecting a site, purchasing land, creating indebtedness and approving certain construction contracts require additional approval procedures.

Residents should watch for formal action on the property, site due diligence, wetlands and utility reviews, clarification of the grant agreement, and any later proposals involving programs, financing, design, construction or operations.

For now, the June 22 discussion means that Littlestown school directors are weighing a possible site and the grant deadline—not confirming that a new ACTI campus will be built.

Sources

• Gettysburg Connection: Littlestown board discusses ACTI expansion
• Adams County Commissioners: ACTI grant agreement
• ACTI Long-Term Planning