Bensalem board fails to approve either middle‑school option after heated debate
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Summary
Board members debated two middle‑school options — a $125 million renovation plan and a $165 million new‑construction plan — but neither measure won enough votes. Trustees agreed to send the issue back to committee for further work and scheduled follow-up discussions.
The Bensalem Township School District Board of School Directors voted down two competing plans to address middle‑school overcrowding, leaving the district without a final course of action after more than an hour of presentations and debate.
Board members considered a three‑year, $125 million additions-and-renovations plan and a larger $165 million new-school option. District finance staff laid out the projected millage impacts and median homeowner costs, with examples translated into monthly increases to illustrate affordability. Finance staff estimated the district could defer some payments and remain solvent through March or April if state and federal reimbursements remain delayed.
The public and some trustees pressed for action. Community member Jeannie Guerra, who identified herself as BTEA vice president, told the board, "Balancing the annual budget and funding the middle school project are two separate issues." Several trustees warned that delaying action would allow construction costs to rise further.
Trustees split on which path to choose. During roll-call votes, the motion to approve additions and renovations for Schaeffer and Snyder middle schools (L1) failed. A subsequent motion to approve construction of a new middle school (L2) also failed on roll call. After the votes, board members and community speakers sharply criticized colleagues for not producing an alternative; the board president recessed the meeting and directed staff to return the issue to committee for further work.
Board leadership said the matter will return to the business committee and mentioned a committee meeting date for mid‑November. The board did not adopt interim modular classrooms or another immediate capacity solution during the meeting.
Next steps: the board will reconsider the middle‑school options in committee and later return recommendations to the full board; a committee meeting date was discussed for November 12.