By Solomiya Syvyk
News Editor

Following the May 19 primary election, three current Neshaminy School Board members, Anthony Sposato, John Allen (Region 2; Levittown) and Mark Shubin (Region 3; Middletown and Langhorne), were ousted from the possibility of reelection.

All three were proponents of the controversial consolidation plan which involves closing Samuel Everitt, Oliver Heckman and Lower Southampton Elementary Schools and building a larger, $31 million Tawanka Elementary School, along with moving the fifth graders into the middle school and renovating other facilities.

Four candidates from the “Save Our Neshaminy Schools” Org. secured their spots in the upcoming general election in Nov. These outspoken, anti-consolidation members, Staci O’Brien (Region 3), Robert J. Sanna Jr., Robert Feather (Region 2), and Karen Lowry (Region 1), assured a halt to the plan in their campaigns. But, according to officials, if these candidates are seated on the board, a reversal in the initiative could lose the district millions of dollars.

“Demolition of the existing Tawanka school is scheduled for early July,” district spokesman Chris Stanley said.

Bids have already been awarded to contractors for the rebuilding of the new facility, plus materials and permits have been obtained.

Among others, Tina Hollenbach won the Democratic and Republican vote for Region 1 while Robert Tull won the Republican vote for Region 2 and Marty Sullivan won the Republican vote for Region 3; the latter two are also among the vocal opponents of the consolidation plan.

According to Matt Schickling from The Wire,“anti-consolidation candidates are asking the board to hold off on putting those shovels in the dirt and let the voters decide which candidates they want to make the decision.”