Pennsbury Contract Negotiations Have 'Positive Tone'

Union officials met with Pennsbury School District officials last week to discuss contract negotiations.

From the Pennsbury School District: On the evening of January 30, 2013, the Chief Negotiator for the Pennsbury School Board met with representatives of the District’s support staff union, the Pennsbury Educational Support Professionals Association (PESPA). The 600+ employees in PESPA have been working under the terms of an expired contract since June, 2011. The last negotiation session held between the two parties occurred on November 28, 2012. According to Chief Negotiator, Jeffrey Sultanik, the session had a “positive tone” and was spent mostly going over language proposals by both parties. “Working collaboratively, we arrived at approximately 22 tentative agreements on contract language,” he said. “The majority of the remaining contract…

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Hearing on Village Park Closure Held

A hearing on the possible closure of Village Park Elementary School was held recently. What's your take?

Before the Pennsbury School Board, administrators and members of the local community, Marta Grothman recalled her fond memories of attending Village Park Elementary School in the Levittown section of Falls. She recollected about her first day and taking part in the school’s opening ceremony. She recalled her brown pigtail hairstyle and all of her teachers. Grothman, who currently is a music instructor at the school, was one of roughly a dozen people who spoke during public comment at Thursday night’s public hearing on the likely closure of the Unity Drive school. Other parents testified about the helpful and nurturing staff. Some praised the close-knit community that surrounds the school, where a large segments of students walk to and from…

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Public Hearing on Elementary School Closure to be Held Thursday

A meeting on the possible closure of one Levittown elementary school will be the focus of a public meeting Thursday night.

A public hearing on the possible closure of Village Park Elementary School is set for Thursday night in Falls Township. According to the Pennsbury School District, the hearing will take place beginning at 7 p.m. at the west campus of the high school. The Elementary Enrollment and Space Utilization Committee told the school board in the beginning of the month they decided the Unity Drive school should be closed as the school system looks to redistrict and cut cost. The committee looked at project enrollment numbers, birth rates and building capacities before making their recommendation. In December, the committee held a lengthy discussion about how much money the district could save if it closed either Village Park or Fallsington Elementary…

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McCafferty Donates $20,000 to Pennsbury Band

A $20,000 donation for new band uniforms for the Pennsbury Marching Band was recently made by McCafferty Auto Group.

The Pennsbury Marching Band will be looking sharp for the upcoming Cherry Blossom Parade in Washington D.C. thanks to a generous gift from a local auto dealer. McCafferty Auto Group recently donated $20,000 to help the 130 member marching band pay for new uniforms. Todd Buch, president of the auto group, recently presented the band with a check for the money. "Students who participate in such worthwhile high school activities as the marching band draw meaningful experiences that become lifetime memories," Buch said. "The PHS Marching Band is legendary, and the McCafferty Auto Group couldn't be more excited about supporting the hard work and dedication exhibited by these students." Frank Mazzeo, instrumental music curriculum coordinator and…

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Pennsbury School Board to Address Possible School Closures

The Pennsbury School Board will meet Thursday, Jan. 10 at 8 p.m.

A special committee made recommendations to the Pennsbury School Board January 3 about closing Village Park Elementary School at 75 Unity Drive, Fairless Hills. Now the school board will be addressing the recommendations. Tonight, the school board will make an announcement of a possible school closing and will set a public hearing for that matter. On Jan. 11, the public announcement of intent and possibility of closing a school will be made since there is a 15 day notice requirement for a public hearing. The school board will be discussing other business matters at the meeting. For the full agenda, visit the district website or view the PDF attached to this article.

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Pennsbury School Board to Hold First 2013 Meeting

The Pennsbury School Board will meet for the first time in the new year.

Village Park Elementary School May Close

The Pennsbury School District could save $1 million by shuttering Village Park Elementary School in Falls Township.

The Elementary Enrollment and Space Utilization Committee met at Pennsbury High School last Tuesday and decided to have Superintendent Kevin J. McHugh present a formal recommendation to close Village Park Elementary School before the school board at its Jan. 3, 2013 meeting. Committee meeting minutes show a lengthy discussion about how much money the district could save if it closed either Village Park or Fallsington Elementary School, which is connected to the district administration offices.  Over the next five years, repairs and upgrades to the 75,000-square-foot Village Park are expected to cost up to $2 million. Similar work would cost about $375,000 at 44,000-square-foot Fallsington. The committee discussed what would happen to the …

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emily cared

7:09 am on Friday, January 11, 2013

to joe form emily carie why is it when peolpe say that village park is closeing some peole say ya i am so happy? i dont get that i want it to say open i like that school very very and i mean very muth!!!! i mean why is it that village park has to close i mean like who would want to close village park i mean come on! oh and joe u should say more informach all u talke about is your new house if u …   more ›

'No Credible Threat Was Established For Pennsbury High School'

The Pennsbury School District has released a statement on rumors of violence.

After rumors of violence against Neshaminy High School and Council Rock South High School, the Pennsbury School District released the following statement about the threats: Several of our area high schools are the targets of rumors pertaining to school violence today. Much of this is theorized by authorities to be fueled by unrelated events, such as the Sandy Hook tragedy and the 12-21-12 end-of-the-world rumor. We wish to thank our alert parents, students, and staff who reported information as it came in so that we could follow up accordingly. Pennsbury maintains close working relationships with our local police departments, and in this type of situation, you may notice there is increased police presence in our schools and ongoing …

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Board, PEA Meet; Impasse Continues

The negotiation session between the Pennsbury School District and the teachers' union lasted two hours.

From the Pennsbury School District: “A frank, animated session,” is how the Chief Negotiator for the Pennsbury School Board described his most recent meeting with negotiators for the Pennsbury Education Association (PEA). They faced each other in a two-hour meeting on the evening of Tuesday, December 18 in the Fallsington Administration Building. “They were as clear as can be,” said Jeffrey T. Sultanik, the Board’s Chief Negotiator. “They want the Board to raise taxes to fund their new contract. That is the essence of our impasse.” He added, “I know of no board in the region that would allow that to happen.” The PEA did not present a revised proposal at the meeting. “Despite the fact that the Board had agreed to update its contract …

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Pennsbury Students Perform at White House

The 21-member Pennsbury Chamber Choir recently performed at the White House in Washington D.C.

At Thursday night's school board meeting, Pennsbury Superintendent Dr. Kevin McHugh announced that the Pennsbury Chamber Choir performed seasonal music at the White House in Washington D.C. The group, which is made of 21 students, performed for visitors in the Grand Foyer of the White House, according to the district. “This was a huge honor for us,” said K-12 Vocal Music Coordinator James Moyer. “Our students were thrilled to have this opportunity to sing in such a prestigious venue.” Moyer, the district said in a released, applied for the choir to perform at the White House in summer. "The students were accompanied to Washington, D.C. by Pennsbury High School Principal Lisa Becker, School Counselor Joyce Burger, and Vocal Music teachers …

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