Ground Broken On New Elementary School In Croydon

Construction on the new 1,300-student school at the Mary Devine Elementary School site in Bristol Township’s Croydon section is underway.

Despite rainy weather, Bristol Township School District officials gathered with local politicians and community members to break ground on the new $39 million school.

School board President Angela Nober said the new “state-of-the-art” elementary school to be completed by September 2016 will be a “win for students and our district.”

State Rep. Tina Davis said the ground breaking was a “great day” for the community.

The Mary Devine groundbreaking was the final one scheduled as part of the district’s elementary school overhaul plan, which will see the current nine schools close. Two 1,300-students schools in Levittown are already well under construction and will be nearly identical to the building planned for the Devine site.

The former Mary Devine school was torn down earlier this year because the property only has enough room for the new building to go where the old one was. At the other two construction sites, the new schools are being built behind existing building that will be torn down later.

Students from Lafayette, Maple Shade and Mary Devine elementary schools are expected to be in the new school by September 2016. The other two Levittown schools are projected to open by September 2015.

When the old Mary Devine building closed in June 2014, 440 students were relocated from Croydon to the first floor of the Benjamin Franklin School in Levittown in September. The building, which also currently houses the administration offices, will house Mary Devine students until construction is done on the new school.

The groundbreaking featured the Truman Tiger Band and a performance of the national anthem by Truman student Marilyn Lalo.

The initial plan was to have Mary Devine students come to the groundbreaking but the students stayed in classes due to the weather. District officials said they plan to hold a special event for students next week.