Neshaminy Update

Students who will be transferred to a new school at the start of the 2025-2026 school year were given the opportunity to visit their new school and meet some of their teachers, administrators and "future friends" during a series of events in May. With the opening of Core Creek Elementary School in January, the district is re-aligning the elementary student population to ease overcrowding and to account for enrollment trends over the next several years.

In mid-May, Dr. Sinead Doherty visited transferring students at Hoover and Tawanka to introduce herself. She will be replacing Core Creek Principal Brian Kern, who is retiring at the end of this school year. Tawanka Principal Donald Palmer also visited Joseph Ferderbar Elementary to welcome those transfer students who will attend his school in the fall.

On May 21 the Ferderbar students had the opportunity to visit Tawanka, meet the staff, visit their grade-level pods and meet the students that they will be joining next year. On May 22 transfer students from Hoover and Tawanka had the same opportunity during a morning field trip to Core Creek Elementary School to familiarize themselves with their new school.

For the ninth year in a row, Neshaminy been named a Best Community for Music Education by the National Association of Music Marketers Foundation. This is a nationwide recognition, and only 935 school districts and 88 individual schools across the nation received the award this year. According to the foundation, the award reflects Neshaminy’s collective efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students and our community to make music part of a well-rounded education for every child.

Congratulations to our Neshaminy music teachers, orchestra, band and choral directors, music boosters and all the family members who spend countless hours driving back and forth to practices and attending their children’s concerts and special events.

The Fourth Annual Neshaminy Alumni Achievement Awards will be held in November 2025. Nominations for this prestigious award can be submitted online using the form available at the link below. Anybody can submit a nomination, and the deadline for submission is June 20, 2025.

The purpose of this award is to honor outstanding lifetime achievement in post-graduation personal and professional pursuits among the alumni of Neshaminy School District as an inspiration to the current students of Neshaminy and the entire Neshaminy community. Recipients are invited to the ceremony and their stories are shared on a video monitor in the school. Past recipients have also visited classes to talk with students about their careers and lives and how their time at Neshaminy started them on a path to success.

This award is separate from the Neshaminy All-Sports and Football Hall of Fames. Names of past recipients can be found at the alumni section of the Neshaminy website.

🔗 Submit a nomination

• Friday, May 30: Neshaminy HS Tri-M Music Honor Society Concert, 7 pm
• Saturday, May 31: Neshaminy HS Rock Band Festival, 7 pm
• Wednesday, June 4: Neshaminy HS Senior Awards, 6:30 pm
• Friday, June 6: Poquessing 8th Grade Move-Up Day
• Friday, June 6: Last day of school, grade 12 only
• Tuesday, June 10: Maple Point / Carl Sandburg 8th grade Move-Up Day
• Wednesday - Friday, June 11-13: Half-days for students grades K-11
• Wednesday, June 11: Neshaminy HS Graduation Ceremony, 6:30 pm
• Thursday, June 12: NHS Graduation Ceremony rain date, 6:30 pm
• Friday, June 13: Last day of school, grades K-11

Early dismissal times for June 11, 12 and 13 are as follows:

• High School: 10:50 am
• Middle schools: 11:45 am
• Elementary schools: 12:30 pm

For more events and updates please visit the district and school websites.

Thanks to a grant from the 21st Century Community Learning Center, Neshaminy HS students in need of academic, behavioral and/or social-emotional support over the summer will be able to take advantage of a free camp offered at the high school this summer. The camp, a partnership between Ivins Outreach Center and Neshaminy HS, is open to rising 9th-12th grade students at the high school and the Neshaminy School District Virtual Academy. The camp offers credit recovery courses, help with summer reading and math, enrichment courses and recreational activities. Breakfast and lunch are included, and transportation is available. Registration can be completed by scanning the QR code on the poster to the left, or by clicking here.

2025-2026 PROPOSED BUDGET POSTED

The 2025-2025 Neshaminy School District Preliminary General Budget has been posted on the district's website and on Board Docs (link below). The preliminary budget must be available for public inspection for at least 20 days before it is considered for adoption. The School Board is scheduled to consider the budget for adoption at the June 24, 2025 Board Public Meeting.

The proposed budget includes expenditures of $226,407,676 and total revenue of $221,457,251. This year the district is facing sharp increases in costs, including a 24% rise in employee health care benefits. An estimated $10.7 million budget deficit was trimmed by identifying and reducing non-essential expenses. The remaining budget gap will be filled by a 4.7% property tax increase, which is within the Pennsylvania Act 1 limit for 2025-2026. This increase will be slightly mitigated by an increase in the homestead / farmstead exclusion for Neshaminy homeowners. An additional $1.95 million will be drawn from the district's reserve funds.

🔗 2025-2026 Preliminary Final Budget

"We continuously assess priorities to ensure that essential educational services remain funded," said Neshaminy Business Administrator Deborah Klahold. "Some budget reductions were made based on a careful review of enrollment trends, with strategic reduction or realignment of staff to support current and projected student needs. All of these decisions were guided by a commitment to maintain the high quality of our academic programs, extracurricular activities and student experiences as efficiently and responsibly as possible."

The Board also approved the budget for Bucks County Technical High School, which must be approved by all six sending school districts. The total budget is $35,079,532 (with an operating budget of $33,713,195.00). Of that, Neshaminy School District's share will be $5,537,200.00. This year, 321 Neshaminy students attended BCTHS.

NEW ADMINISTRATORS WELCOMED

The School Board approved two additions to the administrative staff at the May 13 meeting. Neshaminy welcomes the following:

• Wayne Demore as Assistant Principal at Neshaminy High School, replacing Colin Trickel who is retiring at the end of the school year. Mr. Demore comes to Neshaminy from Pennsbury School District where he served as an English teacher, Assistant Principal and most recently as Coordinator of the Academy of Pennsbury.
• Justine Garofalo as Special Education Supervisor, replacing John Iannacone who is retiring. Ms. Garofalo joins Neshaminy from a similar position at Bristol Township School District.

At the May 13 meeting, the School Board approved a one-year extension with Aramark to provide food services in Neshaminy schools for the 2025-2026 school year. The original contract was signed in 2021. The Board also approved the school lunch price schedule for 2025-2026 at the May 27 meeting. The prices will remain the same as they were in 2024-2025.

The next School Board Public Work Session will be held on Tuesday, June 10 at 7 pm in the District Board Room at Maple Point. The May Board Public Meeting will be held Tuesday, June 24 at 7 pm in the same location. The meeting video livestream, agenda and archive video of past meetings can be found at www.neshaminy.org/meetings.

COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Committee meetings are held throughout the school year. These meetings are a good opportunity to interact with School Board members and district administrators in a less formal, more conversational format. The final committee meeting for 2024-2025 is as follows:

• Wednesday, June 4: Business Operations Committee

All committee meetings are held at 6:30 pm in the District Board Room at Maple Point unless otherwise noted. All meeting times and dates are subject to change; please consult the Neshaminy district website for updates.

If you are the parent or guardian of a future kindergarten or first-grade student (or know somebody else who has one), we encourage you (or them) to register for the new school year as soon as possible. The process begins with a visit to the Neshaminy Central Registration website (link below) where you can fill out registration forms, upload documents and get more information. Age requirements are as follows:

• To be eligible for kindergarten, children must be five (5) years of age on or before September 1, 2025.
• To be eligible for first grade, children must be six (6) years of age on or before September 1, 2025.

Questions can be directed to the Central Registration office at 215-809-6547.

🔗 www.neshaminy.org/register

All children must have the required medically appropriate vaccines or a plan to complete those vaccines or risk exclusion from school. A child may still obtain medical, religious, or philosophical exemption from meeting the immunization requirements. State law dictates that even if your child is exempt from immunizations, he or she may be excluded from school during an outbreak of vaccine-preventable disease. Please visit our Vaccination Requirements Newsletter for more information.

Neshaminy's Pre-K Counts preschool program is gearing up for the next school year! Registration is now open for 2025-2026. Pre-K Counts is a state grant-funded program that offers a high-quality FREE preschool for children whose families meet financial qualification guidelines. For the 2025-2026 school year, a family of four can earn up to 96,450 (household income) to qualify! Neshaminy is pleased to host several classes of Pre-K Counts preschool within our district borders, including several in our Neshaminy schools.

Pre-K Counts is available to children who turn 3 or 4 years of age by September 1, 2025. To find out more about Pre-K Counts at Neshaminy and to complete a registration application, pleae visit the link below.

🔗 www.neshaminy.org/pkc

2025-2026 registration for the Preschool Lab at Neshaminy HS is now open. This unique part-time program, part of the Family and Consumer Science program at the high school, is available for 3- and 4-year-olds with birthdays on or before 3/31/2022. Students in the Child Development and Parenting classes at the high school under the guidance of FCS faculty actively work with the young children in a fully equipped preschool classroom. The lab offers two sessions per day (8:25 am - 10:40 am and 11:45 am - 1:50 pm) four days a week (Monday - Thursday) from mid-October through May when the high school is in session. The fee for the entire year is $425. For more information and to register, please visit Family & Consumer Science / Preschool Laboratory Information (neshaminy.org), fill out the registration form or call 215-809-6680.

Homelessness Resources

Life is uncertain, but your child’s education doesn’t have to be. The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act can help provide school stability for your child if you do not have a permanent home. More information is available HERE. Additional information and resources can be found on the district website here.

Public Notices

Neshaminy School District is required to provide annual public notice for the following: Special Education Services, Gifted Students, Services for Protected Handicapped Students, Destruction of Records, Medical Assistance, and the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). These notices are available on the Neshaminy district website HERE.

VIDEO: The Neshaminy art teachers filled Gym 1 at Neshaminy High School with hundreds of examples of paintings, drawings, sculptures, pottery, photographs, digital artwork from every school and grade on Wednesday and Thursday, May 21 and 22.

The art show committee was so impressed with the posters submitted for the show this year that they doubled the number of winners to six:

• Elementary school: Miia Vdovina - Tawanka ES and Sananda Muthukrisnan - Tawanka ES.
• Middle school: Virginia James - Carl Sandburg MS and Bhavya Pandya - Carl Sandburg MS.
• High school: Olivia Chaffinch and Joel Landry.

Hundreds of runners of all ages took to the trails around Maple Point Middle School and nearby Community Park for the annual SUNset Challenge on May 16. This race, which was first run in 2019, is part of StandUp Neshaminy's mission to provide information about opioid abuse prevention and promote positive choices and healthy lifestyles. Participants had the opportunity to learn about substance abuse prevention and talk with prevention specialists before the start of the race. The timed race included a 2K course around the Maple Point campus and a 5K course that wound through the park and adjacent neighborhood.

🔗 SUNset Challenge 2025 Photo Gallery (Richard Saxton)

The district's annual elementary and middle school Field Days went off without a raindrop despite challenging spring weather patterns. The elementary schools rescheduled theirs by several days to Monday, May 19 which turned out to be a great choice. The middle schools stood solid with their date of Friday, May 23 despite rain and cold before and after that date, but they, too made the right call and enjoyed great weather on their Field Days.

Joseph Ferderbar ES

Core Creek ES

Tawanka ES

Herbert Hoover ES

Albert Schweitzer ES

Walter Miller ES

Poquessing MS

Maple Point MS

Carl Sandburg MS

Herbert Hoover ES received a new communication tool for their students thanks to a grant from the Neshaminy Education Foundation. Hoover teacher Samantha McGarry and Speech Therapist Michele Davis were awarded a grant by the NEF this year to purchase a "Post Mount Communication Board." The board was installed outside the school in March.

This board displays pictures for commonly used words and phrases. It will facilitate social interactions between all students on the playground and empowers children with diverse communication needs to express themselves and make their needs known. It will increase inclusive opportunities at recess and make communication more accessible for all learners.

The Ferderbar Chorale is a small group of fourth grade singers who rehearse every Thursday morning before school. They traveled to Oxford Rehab and Healthcare in Langhorne on May 21 to perform for the residents there. It was a rewarding experience this was for both the singers and their audience!

The annual Walter Miller Elementary Color Run was held Monday evening, May 19. The event is a fundraiser for the Miller PTO.

Students in grades K, 1 and 2 participated in a "Schweitzer's Roaring Readers" literacy night full of fun, giveaways, raffles, and refreshments. Families learned how to make reading fun and walked away with great ideas to support literacy in the home. Reading Specialists also shared information about the district's Elementary Summer Reading Challenge. Students showed their love of reading by dressing as their favorite character or author, reading from a favorite book, or creating a book project to show to families.

"Wax Museums" are a favorite activity in the elementary schools. On May 22 Dr. Raab’s first-grade class at Core Creek Elementary welcomed families to their Wax Museum where students breathed life into biographies. Athletes, artists, entertainers, leaders, scientists, mathematicians, world leaders, and inventors were represented. Students researched and portrayed famous historical figures. They dress up as their chosen character and share information about them with the visitors. Among the comments from the students:

• Good things can happen when we think outside the box and discover new ways to solve everyday problems.
• Each one of us makes a difference in the world.
• I have learned that I can solve problems and work hard to make dreams come true.

Eighth-grade students from Carl Sandburg Middle School had the incredible opportunity to travel to Gratz College in Montgomery County to experience a moving performance of Hidden — a musical by David & Jenny Heitler-Klevans based on the true story of Ruth Kapp Hartz, a Holocaust survivor who was there to experience this debut performance with Sandburg's students.

Hidden tells Ruth’s story as a young Jewish girl hidden in Southern France during World War II. Forced to assume a new identity — Renée Caper — Ruth survived for three years with the help of brave strangers in a time of extreme danger. The performance explores powerful themes such as empathy, identity, resistance, resilience, and the lasting impact of anti-Semitism and fascism.

This educational opportunity enriched students’ English Language Arts curriculum, complementing their study of The Legacy of Anne Frank and offering a deeply personal firsthand perspective on history. Students were also honored to hear directly from Ruth during a question-and-answer session making this experience both unforgettable and profoundly meaningful. This was more than a field trip — it was a once in a lifetime invaluable lesson in humanity, courage, and the enduring power of stories. Carl Sandburg is extremely grateful to Gratz University's Educational Initiatives Program for providing this experience for our 8th graders.

On May 7, a group of eighth graders from all three middle schools attended the annual Boating Picnic at Core Creek Park. This annual event gives students who score the highest on their boating unit certification test the opportunity to enjoy a very relaxing and enjoyable afternoon out on the lake in kayaks, canoes and paddleboards along with playing volleyball and enjoying a picnic lunch. The weather this year was perfect, and a good time was had by all.

A group of Poquessing MS eighth graders have been visiting an autistic support classroom once a week next door at Joseph Ferderbar ES all year making new friends with the students, playing games with them and reading to them. On Monday, May 19 (Field Day) they helped out their young friends during the school's Field Day and enjoyed lunch with them.

Members of Poquessing’s Student Council visited Oxford Senior Enhanced Living in Langhorne. They helped the residents with their technology needs - they acted as troubleshooters for phone, app and laptop issues. More importantly, they had fun connecting with the residents and learning about their life experiences!

On May 12 the first-ever middle school unified track meet was held at Harry E. Franks Stadium. At Neshaminy, unified track started with the high school team and has now expanded to the middle schools. Unified track gives athletes of all abilities the opportunity to compete together. Yesterday’s meet included athletes from Poquessing MS, Carl Sandburg MS and the high school competing in classic track events.

May 14 was Maple Point Night at the Philadelphia Phillies. Members of the Maple Point Band and Choir performed on the field before the game.

Nine Neshaminy HS Science Club members who competed and won in the regional Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science (PJAS) state competition in February continued their winning streak at the state level in May, each taking home awards for their projects at the PJAS state competition held at Penn State University. Each of the students delivered presentations on research projects that they have been preparing all year. Each was judged against their peers from across the state with matching research categories and grade level. Categories included biology, biochemistry, botany, microbiology, computer science, engineering, physics and more. Teams of judges for the competition were chosen for their expertise in each category. Congratulations to the Neshaminy HS 2025 PJAS winners:

• 1st place winners: Jack Kenny, Vic Chen, Karsen Tran, Adriana Acevedo and Jake Lohr.
• 2nd place winners: Samuel Hunter, Nishka Patel, Carleigh Fitzwater
• 3rd place winner: Barbare Aroshvili

Congratulations to the Neshaminy High School cast of Young Frankenstein who were invited to perform a portion of their show at the Philadelphia Independence Awards at the Miller Theater in Philadelphia on May 20. They received ten nominations, including Best Musical, and won two awards - the show leads for Best Dance Ensemble and Rebecca Gutierrez for best Female Vocalist. Rebecca was also nominated as the Jimmy Award actress, which means she will be attending the national Jimmy Awards for high school musical theater in New York City on June 23. Only two nominees from the Philadelphia region are nominated for this honor each year.

Seven Neshaminy High School seniors were honored at the Military commitment Ceremony held in the Hub on Thursday, May 22. Each year the high school is proud to honor students who choose to serve their country at the ceremony which includes their families, recruitment officers and special guests. Thanks to Marharyta Chumakova, Kaidin Marciano, Ryan Sullivan, who will be joining the US Air Force; Edward Walsh, joining the U.S. Navy; Aidan Russell, Charlotte Anderson joining the Army National Guard and Natalie Woodman who will be attending the Merchant Marine Academy for their future service.

On May 15, Neshaminy High School honored senior athletes who will continue to play their sports in college during the Spring Signing Ceremony in the Hub at NHS. Honored were: Baseball - Jake Plebani (Immaculata University) ; Girls Basketball - Alena Cofield (Rider University); Cross-Country - Ryan Kaiser (University of Rhode Island); Football - Ryan Alexander (Juniata University), Jason Cunningham (Eastern University), Richard Esher (Alvernia University), Connor Frederick (East Stroudsburg University), Devon Miranda (Eastern University), Cole Tarapchak (Eastern University); Girls Soccer - Abby Collins (Chestnut Hill College), Taylor Maxwell (University of Miami); Boys Soccer - Josh Anderson (Lycoming College), McCarthy Gomes (Gwynedd Mercy University; Bryce Hannings (Wilkes University), Dan Raivitch (Stockton University); Softball: Arista Fine (Pennsylvania College of Technology); Girls Swimming - Natalie Woodman (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy); Girls Tennis - Kaylee Higgins (Arcadia University).

On May 2, Neshaminy High School celebrated their April Students of the Month (along with the Rotary Students of the Month) during a ceremony at the Black Box Theater. The student's families and several community guests joined the celebration. Pictured, left to right: Natalie Szapton (from PA Sen. Frank Farry’s Office), Anita Kholodov, John Kelly (from US Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick's office), Isabella Cariola, PA Rep. Joe Hogan (holding Asha Quinn Hogan), Homera Bacha, Sofia Jordao, Youssef Mazouz, Taylor McCoy, Jamisen Bassett, NHS Principal Stephen Garstka, Maven Donahue. Kneeling left to right: Annie Quinn & Carly Simpson

The musical groups at Neshaminy High School held their final concerts of the year in May. Archive videos of each concert can be found at the NHS concert livestream website, www.neshaminy.org/nhsmusicvideo.

Neshaminy Update is published monthly during the school year and distributed to the Neshaminy community via email and web. To submit comments, suggestions or news items for consideration, please email Chris Stanley, Community Relations Coordinator.

Neshaminy School Board of Directors

Marty Sullivan - President

Tina Hollenbach - Vice-President

John Allen

Erin Brosious

Alicia Lafferty

Beth Marshall

Carlos Rodriguez

Kellen Sporny

Jill Waldbieser

Contact Information

View Upcoming Meetings

Meeting Videos

Neshaminy School District

Superintendent

Jason Bowman

Assistant to the Superintendent/Director of Educational Operations

Sean Haines

Assistant to the Superintendent / Director of Elementary Education

Dr. Michelle Burkholder

Assistant to the Superintendent / Director of Secondary Education

Dr. Kate Hinshaw

Assistant to the Superintendent / Director of Pupil Services

Dr. Kevin Kane

Business Administrator

Deborah Klahold

Director of Human Resources

Kelly Kozik

Neshaminy School District

2001 Old Lincoln Highway

Langhorne, PA 19047

www.neshaminy.org