Residents Voice Concerns Over Charter School’s Proposed Location

The main point of opposition to the potential Math Science and Technology (MaST) Community Charter School approved for the Neshaminy School District seemed to be the school’s prospective location of the current Sears store in the Oxford Valley Mall.

The Neshaminy School School Board opened up a hearing on MaST-Neshaminy Charter School’s potential location for their new facility at their Tuesday evening meeting. The hearing represented a step for a potential acceptance by the school district and could move the charter school one step closer to opening.

Representatives from the charter school who were present argued that their attendance of the meeting was more of a formality, referencing a court decision in May of last year allowing the school to come into the district. 

According to John Torrente, the solicitor representing the school district at Tuesday’s meeting, last May’s proceedings halted when representatives from MaST failed to counter-sign a charter agreement with the district, resulting in the renewed process of public hearings for the school’s consideration.

Following the beginning of Tuesday night’s hearing, the board is forced to wait 45 days to take any action on the charter school’s proposed location. Some action must be taken between 45 and 75 days following the start of the hearing, Torrente explained.

The charter school initially looked at numerous locations to open their facility, including locations at Wheeler Court and Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Middletown. However, many of the buildings initially considered are no longer available due to the years that have passed and a new location has to be approved by Neshaminy.

Before the public comment portion of the hearing began, representatives from MaST, including CEO John Swoyer spoke on behalf of the facility, which operates locations in Philadelphia. The charter school representatives held that the state has already held the previous application as acceptable.

Most of the public comment in opposition of the charter school maintained that sending kids to school in the Sears location just did not make sense to them.

“Folks, this is a bad move, and I just want to put on the record that sending our kids to Sears is not appropriate,” said Mark Shubin, a Middletown resident and former school board member.

“If Neshaminy was doing a bad job, I would have no problem with this,” Shubin added.

“Neshaminy is one of the best school districts in the county, and I don’t think that we should mess with a good thing,” said Lauren Lareau, a Middletown resident with a child currently attending Maple Point Middle School.

Besides the academic implications, Lareau commented that she believes the application should be rejected based on the proposed location.

“I don’t think that we should put our children in a failing retail mall,” said Wendy Shuhart.

Other arguments from concerned residents about the proposed location included the ability of the school to secure the location. Swoyer spoke during public comment to assert that MaST would secure the school’s entrances just like any other school. The proposed facility would have fewer entrances than Neshaminy High School, Swoyer said.

LevittownNow.com previously reported that MaST has a $9.6 million letter of intent in place to purchase the Sears store and construct their own facility. Developer John Parsons of BSI Construction said he is ready to begin the process to open the K-12 charter school for fall if the school board approves the location.

Sears and the mall have both previously not offered comment on MaST’s plan. As of recent, the Oxford Valley Mall Sears store remained opened.

During Tuesday’s meeting, a number of residents spoke in support of the charter school as well.

Deb Harker has been lobbying for the charter school to come to the district since the fight first began, she said. Since then, her son has aged out of being eligible for the school and she lamented the fact that she could not send him there.

“I believe in choice and support MaST coming to Neshaminy,” said one resident. “I believe that it can only make Neshaminy better.”

Other residents simply asked the board to support the school.

Charles Alfonso spoke in support of the application, saying that when he visited the school in Philadelphia it “blew his mind.” The development of the mall to serve other needs is a natural progression, Alfonso added.

“You’re doing a disservice to our kids and you’re spending taxpayer money on a losing battle,” he said.

The hearing is open and will continue on an April 24 meeting at 7 p.m. in the administrative board room at Maple Point Middle School.