Community, District Talk Future Of Soon-To-Close Schools

Members of the Bristol Township community met with school district officials Wednesday to discuss the fate of seven schools.

The meeting was held by the committee and district as a fresh start to help guide the school board in deciding what to do when Clara Barton, John Fitch, Abraham Lincoln, Maple Shade, George Washington and Lafayette close in June. The future use of Franklin D. Roosevelt Middle School, which will likely close in the coming years, is also being examined by the committee.

Community input and comments were welcomed Wednesday evening by the volunteer committee. Superintendent Dr. Melanie Gehrens, Business Manager John Steffy and Bristol Township council person Joe Glasson were in attendance.

The district has already closed and demolished three aging elementary schools and plans to close the other six as part of a consolidation that comes with the opening of three new 1,300-student regional elementary schools. The Roosevelt building could be closed if the board agrees to reopen the Benjamin Franklin School on Mill Creek Road as a middle school.

Steffy said all options are on the table for the elementary schools. He added that two to four buildings will be demolished as soon as possible.

The buildings, if left empty, will quickly become havens for vandalism and blight, Steffy said.

Among the potential future uses discussed at the meeting, an over 55 age-restricted community appeared high up on the list for all seven school sites. Other options discussed included a day care, medical offices, government facilities, nursing centers, nonprofit uses, recreation centers, open space or solar farms.

School board member Jim Baker reminded the public several times throughout the meeting that a recreational use for the properties would be wonderful but “we’re not parks and rec.” He said the township or county would have to be involved if any other properties were to be used for recreation.

The Roosevelt site on Veterans Highway (Route 413) is the largest lot and the “most valuable property owned by the district,” Steff said. Several years back, the district received an offer from a developer who wanted to purchase the property to construct a shopping center that contained a Target and pet supply store.

Steffy said the Barton property, which is situated next to Harry S. Truman High School on Green Lane, would be an ideal location for the district’s offices and operations department. He said it would also be ideal to keep the property if the district looked to expand Truman or build a new high school.

Seeking open space funds from the county and state was discussed by district officials and the public.

Recently, an educational services group has shown interest to lease the Lincoln building in the Plumbridge neighborhood, Steffy said.

Gehrens, Steffy and board member Shane Bowen all stated that the Maple Shade building on Prospect Avenue in Croydon is not registered as a historic building despite being the oldest continuous operating school in Bucks County.

Several members of the public spoke in favor of working with local baseball and softball leagues to preserve fields at some of the schools.

Gehrens said the Bucks County Redevelopment Authority is currently not involved in marketing the soon-to-close schools. Steffy stated working with the group fell apart last year following legal review and disagreements about money.

The township would be willing to work with the school district to talk about the future of the closed schools, Glasson said.

Another meeting on the future of the properties will be held Wednesday, April 20 at 6 p.m. at the Benjamin Franklin School.