Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
The Bristol Township School District has announced a meeting that will answer questions about the behind-schedule construction of three elementary schools.
The meeting will be held May 21 at 6 p.m. at the Bristol Township School Administration Offices at the Benjamin Franklin School on Mill Creek Road.
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During the meeting, construction manager William MacLaughlin of Reynolds Construction Management will be in attendance along with district officials to “review the construction time line and highlight project milestones and future activities,” officials said.
Rumors have swirled in recent months that at least two of the schools – Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School on Mill Creek Road and James Buchanan Elementary School on Haines Road – are behind scheduled and over budget. District officials have not confirmed those rumors and referred residents to the upcoming meeting. Sources have told LevittownNow.com that the two schools are weeks behind their original timetable.
The school board has yet to approved a school calendar for 2015-2016, which many residents have speculated is because the two schools are far behind scheduled.
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As of the most recent official timeline, the roughly $33 million buildings at the Emerson and Buchanan sites are slated to open in September 2015, with the Devine building set to open in September 2016.
Any delays in opening the schools would lead to additional costs to the district.
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“We understand that parents and students are curious about the outcome of these projects and we want to ensure that accurate information is available,” Superintendent Dr. Sam Lee said. “We are hosting this meeting to present the facts, provide answers and make sure our residents are well-informed.”
From their inception, taxpayers have been concerned about the timeline and how the cash-strapped district would afford to pay for the new building, which will replace nine crumbling schools.
“With good information we will all be prepared to face the future with enthusiasm,” Lee said.
