By Ashley Reiss
Special Features Editor

Neshaminy School District is making drastic changes which are being met with a lot of controversy across the board. The school district has already approved a five to eight model for middle schools and has plans to change the number of elementary schools in the district.

The school board is also planning to shut down 3 elementary schools in the district; Oliver Heckman, Lower Southampton, and Samuel Everitt to make a joint elementary school at the site of Tawanka in Lower Southampton. “According to Neshaminy officials, consolidation could save the district an estimated $2 million a year in operating costs and teaching positions,” said Bucks Local News.

“Our objective is to reallocate resources from our buildings back into the classroom and avoid potential programmatic cuts due to continued deficit spending by the district,” said board member Mark Shubin. However; it would cause more than 20 teaching positions to be removed and would also force elementary aged students to make a longer commute to and from school.

Although many residents, parents, and also the teacher union are opposed to the new idea of closing three elementary schools to make way for a new bigger one. “I think the switch will not be beneficial because kids will now have to deal with longer bus rides and have to deal with an overwhelming atmosphere,” said sophomore Corinne Bernatowicz. The concern of kids bus rides, their schools closing, and the concern of the new model of 5-8 in middle school was all voiced at a meetings held to discuss the new plans.

The school board on Oct 28 approved, by a vote of six to three, scheduling state mandate public hearings regarding building a new 800-student elementary school in lieu of act 34 which “is the process that the State of PA requires to inform the public around a large construction project. This hearing is set up so that the public can voice their opinions and concerns prior to a dedicated vote on moving to the next step,” said Shubin. The first hearing will be held on Thurs Dec 4 at 7pm at Neshaminy High School, which will feature various topics on how the district will pay for the costs and testimony from the public.