Resident urges public discussion of Halterman Road high‑school entrance; board member says district working with township

Maureen Kratz, a Lower Souderton resident, urged the Souderton Area School District board to publicly discuss long‑standing safety concerns at the Halterman Road high‑school entrance, saying the community has raised the issue for seven months and it has not been listed on the district’s agenda.

"Guess how many times this issue has appeared on a school district agenda for formal discussion and community input? That would be 0," Kratz said, adding, "That's not oversight. That's really avoidance." She criticized the board for handling the topic outside the district meeting room and contrasted the perceived inattention to safety with district spending on facilities, saying the district had spent "$6,000,000 on a turf field."

Board director Mister Keith responded that he had attended a Franconia Township meeting to discuss options and that he does not recall any restriction on who may speak at township meetings. He said the district is working with township officials and that the matter will likely come to an operations committee meeting for public discussion. "Safety is number one concern of mine," Keith said, and he noted that district police patrols are present during arrival and dismissal.

No formal board action or vote was taken on the Halterman Road entrance at the meeting. The administration and some board members said they are coordinating with township officials on potential solutions and that further discussion with the community is forthcoming.

What happens next: The board indicated the entrance will be discussed in future operations committee business; no date for that discussion was given at the meeting.