Since the 1950's, the fields outside of Neshaminy High School have been home to some of the best high school athletic programs in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Generations of Neshaminy families have practiced, played, coached, cheered, celebrated, consoled, learned and matured on the athletic fields in and around Heartbreak Ridge.

While few would argue with the unique beauty of the setting, the heavy use of the Neshaminy athletic fields has taken a toll on their condition over the years. Hundreds of games and practices every season stress the grass fields, and extreme weather from droughts or extended periods of rain increases the damage. As the dirt becomes compacted and shifts with each use and change of weather, the grass gets thinner and the ground underneath develops bumps and ridges, which can adversely affect play and raise safety issues.

Leveling and replanting grass fields is costly and time-consuming. The current solution is to simply limit use of grass fields to allow time for healing, which results in curtailed practices and game schedules. Most varsity athletes and fans in non-football sports do not get to experience playing and enjoying games "under the lights" at The Ridge very often due to field usage limitations. The stadium has enjoyed some upgrades since the concrete bleachers were built in 1963 including the Hall of Fame pavilion, a synthetic track, new scoreboards, energy-efficient lighting and, most recently, a new sound system. But much remains the same including the field, limited concession area and restroom facilities that require the addition of portable restrooms for large crowds.

A proposal to solve this problem and open The Ridge to athletes of multiple sports is currently under study and consideration by the District and the Neshaminy School Board. In 2019, the Board commissioned a study by ELA Sport Athletic Facilities Design & Consulting from Lititz, PA to examine the condition of the Neshaminy fields and offer recommendations. This report was presented to the Board in May, 2021.

The first part of the proposal calls for a new artificial turf field in the stadium and another lighted multi-purpse field outside the stadium on the site of the current practice field. The second field can be used for practice, junior varsity or varsity games in multiple sports. Other upgrades include a new synthetic track, a new entry plaza that includes concession stands, restrooms and team rooms, a new press box and a storage area under the home bleachers. The new restrooms will meet current codes that require more stalls based on stadium capacity, and an even higher percentage for females. The total estimated cost of these projects is $7.9 million.

While the initial investment in these projects is not insignificant, it can be mitigated not only by a reduction in maintenance expenses such as grass mowing, pest control and field lining over the lifespan of the fields, but also opens up the possibility of generating income by renting out the fields for regional playoff games and use by local sports leagues. Neshaminy's location along Route 1, the Pennsylvania Turnpike and other major highways with easy access to densely populated areas makes it a good candidate for such use.

Neshaminy School District is preparing to roll out access to a free new app, called Here Comes the Bus, to help families manage their student's transportation to and from school and monitor the location of their school bus or van in real time. This app, which is available for both Android and iPhone, will be rolled on a school-by-school basis this fall. The app is part of a comprehensive GPS-enabled fleet management system from Synovia currently used in over 1200 communities large and small across the country to manage and track school buses and other government / municipal vehicles.

Neshaminy tested a similar app in 2019 on a limited basis, but chose the Synovia system for its robust support and comprehensive management tools.

The roll-out will start with Carl Sandburg Middle School and Albert Schweitzer Elementary School. The goal is to have all Neshaminy schools live by the end of November, if not sooner. Parents at each school will be notified when their school goes live.

The Neshaminy School Board met on Tuesday, September 28. Some of the highlights include:

• The District renewed an agreement to operate the grant-funded Pre-K Counts program in partnership with the Bucks County Intermediate Unit #22, which provide staff. This program offers free preschool to qualified families in several locations throughout the District.
• Continuing the process of securing architectural, financial, site management and other services for the proposed new elementary school adjacent to Maple Point Middle School.
• Approval of Neshaminy's share of a bond issue for facilitiy improvements at the Bucks County Technical High School. The BCIT is undertaking bond financing to address the school’s needs related to replacement, upgrade and improvement of the roof, HVAC system and various safety systems. The Neshaminy share (27.17%) of the $25.5 million bond issue is $6.93 million, with the rest coming from other sending districts.
• Approval of an increase for non-grandfathered school bus drivers from $19.83 to $22 per hour as an adjustment to account for current market conditions.

The next School Board Public Work Session will be held on Tuesday, October 12 at 7pm and the next School Board Public Meeting will be held Tuesday, October 26 at 7pm. Both are scheduled for the District Board meeting room at Maple Point MS. Meeting agendas and livestream video links can be found at www.neshaminy.org/meetings.

The Board Facilities and Business Operations Committee will meet on Wednesday, October 13 at 6:30pm and the Policy Committee will meet on Tuesday, October 19 at 6:30pm in the District Board Room at Maple Point. The public is invited to attend and participate.

The Pre-K Counts program at Neshaminy is enrolling students for the 2021-2022 school year. This state-funded program operates in several Neshaminy school buildings, and offers a quality, free preschool program to families that meet age and financial eligibility guidelines. For the upcoming school year, the income guidelines based on household size are as follows (based on 2020 Federal tax returns):

• 2 family members: $52,260
• 3 family members: $65,880
• 4 family members: $79,500
• 5 family members: $93,120
• 6 family members: $106,740
• 7 family members: $120,360
  

Students must turn 3 or 4 years old by September 1, 2021 to qualify. To learn more about Pre-K Counts at Neshaminy or to apply for enrollment, please visit the Neshaminy PKC website www.neshaminy.org/pkc.

The Neshaminy Education Foundation is kicking off the 2021-2022 school year with a great raffle for Eagles fans! The NEF has two tickets to give away, lower level seats in Section 105 Row 8 for the Eagles-Saints home game on Sunday, November 21 at 1 pm. Tickets are $5 each and can be purchased online at the NEF website, www.neshaminy.org/nef. The drawing will be held Friday, October 22 and the winner notified by phone.

The NEF is looking to a great year of fundraising for Neshaminy schools, and will once again be holding the classroom grant program this fall. This is an opportunity for teachers and support staff to apply for grants of up to $3,000 to support new, innovative materials and programs in their classrooms. Last year, instead of the grant program, the NEF donated $18,000 toward the purchase of bluetooth headsets for teachers to facilitate online learning during the pandemic.

Poquessing MS fifth-grader Sara Harvey is a cancer survivor celebrating seven years cancer-free. She has seen first-hand the toll that cancer takes on a family. Her own story led her to approach Principal Timothy Hunt in late August to ask if he would help spread the message behind Septembers Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. He agreed, and the Poquessing staff was delighted to take part!

They advertised the month on the school's electronic billboard, and recognized Sara, along with fellow 5th grader Kayden, both cancer survivors. On Tuesday, September 21, Poquessing "went gold" (the color associated with cancer awareness month) to support children all over the world afflicted with this terrible disease. In addition, Sara provided students and staff honorary gold ribbons, and spoke to members of her 5th grade class about her battle.

Sara and her family attended the September Board Public Meeting and spoke about her journey and the awareness campaign. Following her comments, the Board resolved to recognize Childhood Cancer Awareness Month this year and into the future, and to support her efforts and others such as Coaches vs. Cancer and Pink Out throughout the District.

Students at Carl Sandburg Middle School participated in a 9/11 Memorial Ceremony on Friday, September 10. The program included a Posting of the Colors, the Pledge of Allegiance, a moment of silence, a video tribute, and several speakers. The focus was on reflection and volunteerism. Speakers included Karly Brown, from the office of U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, PA Rep. Frank Farry, United Way of Bucks County Resource Director Shari Ratner, Superintendent Dr. Rob McGee, Principal Dawn Kelly and Assistant Principal Derek Albarran. Social Studies teacher and department chair Steve Simons organized the event and also spoke.

Over the summer, the floor of Gym 3 at Neshaminy HS was completely stripped, sanded, and given a colorful new look before being refinished. The work was completed in early September, just in time for the start of the girls volleyball season.

The floor was not the only recipient of a makeover - the walls were also painted. The public area outside the gym will also be upgraded with new logo carpets, cafe tables and chairs by the snack stand, and video monitors to display information and game action for those grabbing a snack during games.