Will The Pennsbury & Morrisville School Districts Merge?

Will the Pennsbury and Morrisville school districts merge?

It’s a question that’s been asked for years and again more recently after Morrisville School Board President Damon Miller sent a letter to officials from the Bristol Borough, Bristol Township, Bensalem, Council Rock, Neshaminy, and Pennsbury school districts a few weeks back. The letter said Morrisville officials wished to “engage in a dialogue with a goal to develop a tuition-based program or a complete merger  as part of the district’s  alternative means.”

After a initial meeting between Pennsbury and Morrisville officials, Pennsbury School Board President Jacqueline Redner briefed the community at last week’s meeting.

On Monday, Redner sent a letter to Miller about the talks.

“While we empathize with your needs and desires for improved educational opportunities for your  students, our obligations to our students and taxpayers must take precedence for us. The  Pennsbury Board of School Directors is not interested in joining the Morrisville Board in  requesting a feasibility study on a potential merger of the two School Districts. Likewise, we do  not see a need for further meetings or discussion,” a portion of the letter read.

Miller said Morrisville representatives “expressed, what we believe, the benefits of a merge” at last week’s meeting with Pennsbury officials.

“I believe the Pennsbury School Board is doing their residents a disservice by not learning the facts of how a merge may affect both of our districts,” Miller told LevittownNow.com. “Without learning the facts, I believe their decision was influenced by fear, rumors, misinformation, influence by others and politics. Many of those I’ve spoken to who live in the Pennsbury community felt a study should be done.”

Miller said Morrisville officials outlined the following benefits:

1. Morrisville would be contributing a minimum gross of over 9.5 million dollars annually in taxpayer revenue at the current Pennsbury millage. This amount does not include additional state and federal revenue Pennsbury would receive as well as possible increases in the assessed value of Morrisville properties.

2. Morrisville has two buildings that could be utilized by Pennsbury as either elementary or middle school buildings. With Pennwood and Charles Boehm slated for renovation, the Morrisville buildings could be utilized even as a temporary school while the others are renovated.

3. The additional tax revenue from Morrisville could help lower future tax increases against those planned renovations should they occur.

4. Pennsbury has forecasted lower enrollment numbers. Morrisville would add just over 1000 students to the enrollment of the entire Pennsbury district. Pennsbury is also paying for empty seats at BCTHS

5. If Morrisville students receive a better educational experience, Morrisville itself becomes a desired and safer place to live making neighboring areas of Lower Makefield and Falls Township desired and safe. If Morrisville fails, then the surrounding areas can become affected by the results of a less desired school district and borough.

“High stakes graduation requirements, spiking pension expenditures, constrained budgets, and a state funding system that relies on local property taxes makes merger talks impossible for Pennsbury to consider beyond this initial discussion,” Redner said in her letter to Miller.

Miller said Morrisville officials are waiting to hear back from other districts. The Bensalem, Bristol Borough and Bristol Township school districts said last month they would be open for talks with the tiny Morrisville school system. Neshaminy district officials said recently they had no scheduled talks with Morrisville.

“We’re willing to open a dialog and see what they have to say. We’re making no commitments and no promises,” Bristol Borough School Board President Chuck Groff said last month.

Merger proposals Pennsbury and Morrisville have been floated since the 1970s. The most recent proposal came in 2013.

Morrisville has seen declining population and tax base in recent years. The district operates two buildings to educate students.

“Virtually all of the industry has faded from Morrisville’s landscape. But the enthusiasm and determination of its people has remained,” the district website reads.

On the other hand, Pennsbury operates 14 schools to educate its students located throughout Falls, Lower Makefield, Tullytown and Yardley.

If Morrisville should fail, so to will their surrounding communities. For if then a merge is forced, Pennsbury will inherit more issues that they could have avoided if a merge was worked out now,” Miller said.

Click to access Letter-from-J-Redner-to-D-Miller-11-17-14.pdf

Reporter Erich Martin contributed to this story