School Merger Plan Going Before Pennsbury Parents At Special Meeting

FALLSINGTON, PA —After a long wait and much debate, residents and parents in the Pennsbury School District will hear a presentation Tuesday regarding a potential merger between the district and the Morrisville school system.

Public Financial Management (PFM) will present an overview of the Pennsbury-Morrisville Merger Feasibility Study.

PFM will provide an overview of its report at the special school board meeting. The meeting begins at 7 p.m., Jan. 31, in the Pennsbury High School East Auditorium. It will also be live-streamed, recorded, and placed on the Pennsbury website.

The presentation will include detailed financial and academic analysis that both school districts can use to determine whether and how to move forward with a potential merger or tuition arrangement.

Neither school board will vote on the report or any recommendations at this meeting, and no vote is scheduled regarding a merger or tuition agreement.

Any merger or tuition agreement would not begin prior to the 2024-25 school year, providing substantial time for preparation and transition, the study suggests.

"The report's intent was to identify major issues that should be considered if the Boards of Pennsbury and Morrisville wish to consider a merger or tuition agreement," Superintendent Thomas E. Smith said. "The report represents a good first step in what will be a much broader conversation."

Smith said a committee of over 20 individuals from both communities provided feedback and varied perspectives, and we thank them for their time. The report is available on the Pennsbury school district website.

The district released a 161-page report, available on the Pennsbury school district website, just before the school district's winter break in mid-December.

In that report, three options were presented:

• A merger scenario where all Morrisville students are educated by the Pennsbury School District.
• A tuition scenario where Morrisville sends its students in grades 3-12 to Pennsbury’s schools.
• A tuition scenario where Morrisville sends its students in grades 6-12 to Pennsbury’s schools.

PFM provided the scenarios but did not offer a suggestion for which might be the best option in its study.

In the report, the study team found that all alternatives are viable and would improve the financial position of both school districts while providing sufficient and enhanced teaching, counseling, and para-professional support to ensure that all children will succeed academically.

There will be an opportunity for public comment regarding the report, potential merger, or another tuition arrangement between Pennsbury and the Morrisville School District.

Click here to see more details about the report.