At last week’s Neshaminy School Board state-required Act 34 hearing on a plan to build a new elementary school, there was little pushback to the plan from the few members of the public in attendance.
District officials outlined their proposal to construct a roughly 115,000-square-foot kindergarten through fourth grade building next to Maple Point Middle School on Langhorne-Yardley Road. The new building would hold 800 to 900 students and feature a modern two-story design that would be constructed on the side yard of the existing middle school.
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The proposed new building is estimated to cost between $34.6 million and $43.3 million. The district would have to borrow funds for the project.
The building plan comes as enrollment is forecasted to rise from 8,991 to 9,625 by the 2025-2026 school year, according to a study done by Statistical Forecasting LLC.
The new school would replace the aging Pearl S. Buck Elementary School on Top Road in Middletown Township’s Levittown section.
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Pearl S. Buck, which sits on 13 acres of land, was opened in 1968 and has received no major renovations, according to information provided at a 2014 school board meeting. The only other district school not renovated since opening was Oliver Heckman Elementary School on the Langhorne Borough and Middletown Township border. Heckman was closed in 2016 and has sat vacant since.
District officials said a renovation of Peal S. Buck would take two to three years to complete and cost $26 to $27 million, with $12 to $13 million needed just for physical plant upgrades.
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The goal, according to officials, would be to construct a new state-of-the-art school with minimal disruption.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, one resident, a neighbor of the 85-acre Maple Point Middle School property, raised concern over the safety of students who need to cross Langhorne-Yardley Road. She said the school district should work with other agencies to improve safety for kids who walk to school.
Mark Shubin, a former school board member from Middletown Township, said the plan makes sense and follows the several-year-old roadmap for the district’s facilities.
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“This is the right thing to do for the community,” he said.
Bill Watkins, who attended Pearl S. Buck and met the namesake, said the district should knockdown the building and plant trees if it is closed. He said residents move to the Twin Oaks neighborhood because of the school, which is highly regarded by residents.
Credit: Neshaminy School District
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Watkins further stated a new larger elementary school most likely won’t be able to match the prestige of the Pearl S. Buck school.
One resident, John Curry, who lives in Middletown Township, submitted his comment via email. He said he is “wholeheartedly against” the plan and noted Oliver Heckman Elementary School on the border with Langhorne Borough remains vacant.
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“I’m about to have a vacant building in my neighborhood for who knows how long,” he said. “This is mismanagement at its finest. The board needs to think of a better solution for the renovation of Buck or the sale of its vacant properties.”
Residents have until January 3, 2022 to submit written testimony for the hearing, which is required by state law for proposed new construction or major additions to schools. Testimony must feature the writer’s name and address and be sent to Jennifer Burns, school board secretary, 2250 Langhorne-Yardley Road, Langhorne, PA 19047.
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