Neshaminy Holding Meetings on Buildings, Newspaper Policy This Week

The Neshaminy School District is hosting several important meetings this week.

Tuesday

• Policy Committee

The Neshaminy School Board Policy Committee will meet starting at 6 p.m. at Maple Point Middle School in Midddletown.

A rewrite to proposed Policy 600, which was introduced after the high school newspaper’s student editors made a pledge not a print the word ‘Redskin,’ will be presented. The controversial policy has garnered national attention and has been discussed by the committee and full board several times. The version of the policy last presented to the public says the the student editors of the high school school’s newspaper, literary magazine and yearbook would not be able to ban the publication of the word “Redskin,” which some deem a racial slur against Native Americans. The previously released proposed policy blocks newspaper staff from editing the word. A lawyer hired by the district said the staff can only prohibit the use of the word when it is used in a offensive way, which district officials have the legal authority to determine. On that note, the writers and editors could print disclaimers near articles where the word was used and they could also editorialize about the word.

The committee will also be discussing the district’s social media policy.

• Facilities Ad Hoc Committee

The Neshaminy School Board Facilities Committee will meet starting at 7 p.m. at Maple Point Middle School in Midddletown.

The committee is expected to hear proposals from three companies on limited renovations, under the state’s Act 39 program, on certain buildings in the district.

While it can’t Act 39 be used for major renovations, minor architectural work like paint and ceilings could be covered using loans from the energy savings program. Officials have said the Act 39 contract is fixed-price and any extra charges are the responsibility of the overall project contractor, not the taxpayers. The district previously heard prices close to $50 million for a full renovation, however, Reynolds Construction officials recently said the number for an Act 39 project would likely be around half of $50 million with additional money saved by energy efficiencies. Reynolds officials said the district could add secure vestibules, one handicap-accessible bathroom, cameras and air conditioning to the elementary schools.

The district has been talking about renovating or consolidating elementary schools and moving fifth-graders to the middle schools to fill empty seats. The aging elementary buildings, in many cases, need costly work and discussions about their future has been ongoing for years.

Committee chairman Steven Pirritano said last week that he hoped the district would be able to present more detailed information on the school system’s master plan for its buildings. He said a vote, which would forward the recommendation onto the full school board, is possible on the proposals.

Thursday

A special Neshaminy School Board meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the board room at the district offices at Maple Point Middle School in Midddletown.

The meeting will be to hear committee reports and possibly vote on recommendations that came from Tuesday’s meetings.