Central Bucks To Hold 3rd Town Hall On Future Of Elementary Schools

DOYLESTOWN, PA ? The Central Bucks School District will hold its third town hall meeting this week on the future of Doyle, Linden, and Kutz elementary schools.

The Town Hall is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 27 at Central Bucks South High School at 1100 Folly Road, Warrington.

This will be the third and final town hall meeting held on the topic and will again be led by Superintendent Steven Yanni and his administrative staff.

During each of the previous sessions, Yanni has fielded questions and provided updated information on options to address the capital needs at Doyle, Kutz, and Linden and the related costs and considerations.

Since last year, the district has been engaged in conversations to ?Update the 8? - the district's eight elementary schools in need of significant renovations and improvements. Last December, the school board authorized the district administration to take the first step - the renovation of five of the eight schools: Barclay, Buckingham, Gayman, Titus and Warwick.

A decision has not yet been made on the future of the remaining three schools - Doyle, Kutz, and Linden - which could include closing Linden and building a new school.

At the Feb. 13 Finance and Operations Committee Meeting, the district removed from the table the option of combining Doyle, Kutz, and Linden into a single school. That decision left the district with two options - renovate Doyle, Kutz and Linden or renovating Kutz and combining Doyle and Linden into a new elementary school.

At the last Town Hall meeting held at Central Bucks East, a third "exploratory" option surfaced - gutting Linden and Doyle and doing a complete renovation of the schools. Under this option, Kutz would be renovated and the 1930s section of the building replaced.

To give the district time to explore the new option, the school board has postponed its decision on the future of the three schools until late summer or early fall. The board had originally planned to decide in May.

"Expectations are now to have information in late summer/early fall," said the superintendent. "As stated during the town hall, making substantial decisions over the summer could limit public comment and input; therefore, substantive decisions are likely once the new school year begins."

The public is encouraged to provide feedback to the district as it considers its next steps. Questions and comments can be emailed to information@cbsd.org. Voice mails can be left at 267-893-2000, ext. 2288. Letters may also be sent to CBSD Update the 8, 20 Welden Drive, Doylestown 18901.