3 Neshaminy Board Members Speak Out Against Consolidation, Moving 5th Graders to Middle School

Three Neshaminy School Board members spoke out Wednesday evening against the plan to move fifth graders to  a middle school and consolidate the elementary schools.

Board members Irene Boyle, Mike Morris and Ron Rudy explained their views to a group of residents who gathered inside the gym at Walter Miller Elementary School in Middletown’s Levittown section.

The board members were invited by the Miller Elementary PTO to speak about the plan that could close Oliver Heckman Elementary School, Samuel Everitt Elementary School and Lower Southampton Elementary while a new 900-student building would be constructed at the Tawanka site in Lower Southampton.

The three board members have been public before about their opposition to the plan.

“As far as I’m concerned, closing schools is a big scam,” Morris said. He added that the plan was being pushed forward by a “rogue board.”

Rudy told the residents he was concerned with the $2.2 million cost savings the district says they can attain through the consolidation.

Resident Mark Fiore spoke and said the district’s plans will end up costing more money than they save. The Levittown resident said he has spent the past week crunching dollar figures provided by the district and said he found the consolidation plan and moving the fifth grade to the middle school will cost the district about $800,000.

Rudy made similar claims and said the district’s math is wrong. With the cost of bond payments, staffing costs and other expenses, the district would end up losing money and not saving, he said.

Boyle said the board looked at things from a business perspective and should look at the situation from an education perspective. She stated early in the evening that she was “against building a new school in the wrong part of town.” She added that she felt the Levittown portion of the district was going get an influx of young families in a couple of years.

Morris told the crowd he thought the district’s money could be better spent upgrading the current elementary schools the district has. He said he worried the board was coming for Levittown-area schools.

In recent weeks, rallies against the consolidation plans have been held in Langhorne and Levittown. Recently public comments at the school board meeting featured several dozen speakers, most against the board’s proposals.

Everitt teacher and Levittown resident Tim Sauritch has been outspoken about his concerns on the district’s plans. He told residents that he worried the plan would lead to fewer teachers and packed classrooms.

Boyle urged residents to show up and speak at committee meetings because they were more informal and allowed taxpayers more time to speak and give their input to district officials.

“I don’t mind being the underdog on the board, but I need the public’s help,” he said, adding that people should also email the board and Superintendent Robert Copeland their thoughts on the proposals.

Related:

• Neshaminy Lays Out Plan To Move 5th Graders to Middle School
• Neshaminy Consolidation Plan Opposed at Save Oliver Heckman Elementary School Rally
• Public Asks Neshaminy to Reconsider Consolidation & Fifth Grade Move to the Middle School
• Neshaminy Residents Against Proposed Consolidation Plan Meet in Levittown
• Neshaminy Consolidation Plan is Met with Extreme Resistance