The Bensalem Township board of school directors is delaying making a decision on the future of the district’s middle schoolers until the new year.
During its November public meeting, the board was slated to vote on the best way to move sixth-grade students out of elementary schools and into middle schools. This would, according to the district, allow these students to benefit from “curricular standards, academic rigor, staff-to-student support and improved social connections within a middle school setting.”
Several options were on the table. Option A would involve the construction of a brand new “mega middle school,” where all 1,500 middle schoolers in grades 6 through 8 would be housed, at a cost of $140 million to $150 million. Under this plan, the current middle school buildings, Robert K. Shafer and Cecelia Snyder, would be closed. Option B would include additions and alterations to Shafer and Snyder, including the addition of 25,000 square feet to Snyder and 10,000 square feet to Shafer, at a cost of $155 million to $165 million. Option C would include additions and renovations to the two middle schools (the same square footage of additions) for $115 million to $125 million.
Finally, Option D, for $110 million to $120 million, would involve renovations to Shafer, Snyder and Benjamin Rush Elementary School. This would keep sixth-graders at the elementary schools.
A number of parents and community members were in attendance at the meeting to denounce the plans being considered. Common concerns were that there would be overcrowding, whether at the mega middle school or if the sixth-graders were to be transferred to Snyder and Shafer, an increase in behavioral problems and less student support from overwhelmed teachers, just to name a few.
Hope Cahill, a Bensalem resident of 60 years and a district employee for more than 40, said, “My No. 1 concern is having so many students at this age group in one building. No matter how many safeguards we make, you know these students are gonna get around it.”
Rose Jacobs, of Trevose, used a vivid analogy to describe her vision of the mega middle school: “A mega middle school with hordes of hormone-fueled adolescents is like filling the room with mouse traps with pingpong balls perched on them. The minute that one goes off, chaos will ensue, which impacts everyone in the building. No one can stop it or focus on other things.”
A number of parents also spoke out against the possible closure of Rush, which the board stressed isn’t included in the middle school vote. Candace Kelly, a mother of five and resident of Bucks Meadows Apartments, explained that many Rush students who live in the complex walk to school, a convenience that would be taken away if it were to close.
Justin Ellis, a physical education teacher at Rush, said it was disturbing that the board received the bulk of its information the week prior, and was looking to make a multi-million dollar-decision within such a short time frame. “Before you buy a car, that’s more than a week’s discussion,” he said.
Board member Stephanie Gonzalez Ferrandez echoed many of the public commenters’ concerns. In her opinion, all plans on the table focused on how many kids can fit into a building, not on programming and the impact on education. She reflected on visiting the different elementary and middle schools, and seeing some concerning things. At Belmont, she witnessed speech therapy being conducted in an open space. At Rush, an English language learning class was taking place in the foyer. If Rush were to close, she said, the lack of space would only be exacerbated.
“It’s outrageous,” she said, highlighting how 22% of Bensalem students need autistic support classes, math intervention, occupational therapy, etc. “You have to fit all of that in a building as well, and that, I think, is what we’re not considering.”
Ferrandez agreed that behavioral issues would be more rampant. She pointed to an email distributed by Snyder that outlined a number of discipline problems, including pushing, hitting and stealing. So far this year, 39% of eighth-graders were disciplined for their behavior.
“That’s less than 500 kids,” she said. “What’s gonna happen with 1,500?”
Board member Karen Winters, who said her most important “guiding force” is to do what’s best for the kids, supports sending sixth-graders back to middle school, but didn’t think any of the plans on the table would be able to properly achieve this. She praised the current funneling system of having students go from six elementary schools to two middle schools to one high school, and expressed fear that removing that middle layer of support would be a “recipe for disaster.”
Board member Deborah King, who has two children in the district, recommended the most affordable Option C, which would give the district extra funds to improve the elementary schools. However, she said, “If I were to have my way, I would like to go back to the drawing board and look at what we can do.”
Rebecca Mirra said she would love to see a plan that involves three middle schools, the improvement of classroom space, the addition of community resources (auditorium, pool), and long-awaited makeovers to Shafer and Snyder.
“By updating these schools, we can provide the resources that our children need while staying within a reasonable budget,” she said.
Ultimately, the board voted to postpone a vote for 90 days. This will allow them more time to gather information and, said Heather Nicholas, “adjust the course” for an option that more people will be happy with. Further discussion will take place during a special Committee of the Whole Work Session on Dec. 11, at 6 p.m.
