A group of residents running for the Neshaminy School Board have filed a petition and complaint for a declaratory order against the district.
The documents – filed by Levittown attorney Peter M. Williams on behalf of Robert Sanna, Robert Feather, Staci O’Brien and Karen Lowry – was sent to the the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development on Wednesday.
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According to the filed documents, the four claim the district has delayed their ability to review full documentation related to a bond the board voted on earlier this month. The bond would allow the district to borrow $53.9 million to finance $20.9 million in renovations for three schools and build a new $33 million elementary school in Lower Southampton. The district also plans to restructure nearly $28.4 million in outstanding debt.
The bond is not to exceed $116,400,000, according to legal paperwork.
According to bond officials, the bond sale will take place late this month to lock in rates; settlement would be in late March.
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The group claims the board “failed to comply with federal rules and regulations promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission requiring municipal entities to disclose to the investing and interested public certain matters regarding the issuance of public debit.”
The four are asking the Department of Community and Economic Development to disapprove Neshaminy’s debt proceeding request to borrow funds and send it back to the school district “with direction to respond and reply to the Petitioners’ Right to Know Request.”
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In the Right to Know request filed, the group asked the district to furnish certain documents related to the issuance of debt previously authorized by Neshaminy. The district responded by citing the “extent of the request precludes a response within the five business day period.” The district further asked for 30 days to gather the “extensive information requested.” The district, according to its response, has until March 18 to reply.
Here is a press statement released by the group:
Yesterday, Robert Sanna, Robert Feather, Staci O’Brien, and Karen Lowry, Neshaminy School Board candidates, filed a petition with the Department of Community and Economic Development seeking a Declaratory Order disapproving debt that the current School Board wishes to encumber the taxpayers with, in an amount not to exceed $116,400,000, for a project that these four believe is not beneficial to the district.
The candidates have made this request on behalf of the students and residents and those that have expressed their distress over the current board’s dismissal of their concerns and to clearly object to the process by which the current Board has handled this project and how it has failed to provide the public with correct or accurate information. It is believed that the current Board has intentionally misled the Community regarding the actual costs, both short and long term, and how this additional financial burden will impact future school budgets and potential tax increases. The current loan will be paid off by 2028 but the proposed loan, “not to exceed” $116,400,000, will extend the taxpayers annual fiscal obligation of $9.4 million an additional 10 years. Requests to the current Board for this bond to be put out to Neshaminy residents as a referendum have been completely ignored with one Board member stating on public record, that “a referendum would not work since senior citizens would vote against it”, and thus leaving out a majority of the taxpayers as having a voice.
Additionally, demographic studies and updated enrollment projections have been disregarded and one Board Director changed his support of the plan to close three schools, which was proposed to Neshaminy residents, in an effort to save the school in his region. This appears to be nothing more than “playing politics” to satisfy a representative group instead of the entire district.
Robert Sanna, Robert Feather, Staci O’Brien, and Karen Lowry’s concerns and primary interests are to provide all Neshaminy School students an equal unparalleled learning opportunity and to assure residents and taxpayers that their interests and concerns, both educationally and financially, are seriously considered. These candidates will continue to represent and fight for all students and our Neshaminy School community.
Neshaminy spokesman Chris Stanley said the district’s attorneys had received a copy of the legal filing on Wednesday and were in the process of reviewing it.
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School Board President Scott Congdon was not immediately available for comment but a message was left. Of note, Congdon does sometimes work out of the area and has said previously he doesn’t always have access to immediately return calls.
The four who are attached to the legal filing have all been vocal about stopping the board’s plan.
