Penn-Trafford Parents Question Proposed School Consolidation Plans 2026

Key Points

• Parents from Penn-Trafford raised issues regarding the consolidation plans of the district in a 2.5-hour meeting on 19 October 2026 at the school board.
• Forty-one parents commented for nearly two hours during the public commenting process, reported Quincey Catullo of TribLive.
• Issues raised included bus ride distance, traffic, impact on property values, isolation of kindergarten and impact on special needs pupils.
• The district’s first two plans involve closure of McCullough Elementary and grade level restructuring in the remaining schools; the third plan, announced on 19 October, involves closing Level Green Elementary.
• According to Superintendent Matthew Harris, Plan C was formulated after receiving the comments of the parents about transportation and separation of kindergarten pupils in a different building.
• First Student calculated an increase of $539,000 for the district in transport expenditure because of the consolidation, reported Harris.
• Closure of a single school could help save the district an amount of about $1.3 million per year, stated business affairs director Rebecca Rodriguez.
• District savings dropped from $10.3 million in 2021 to $6 million in 2025 due to using up the reserves in order to balance the deficit in budget, reported Rodriguez.

Trafford (Manchester Mirror) October 21, 2026 — Parents in the Penn-Trafford School District have urged administrators and school board members to provide more information before proceeding with proposed school consolidation plans, citing possible longer bus journeys, traffic problems, reduced property values, the isolation of kindergarten pupils and uncertainty over special education provision.

As reported by Quincey Catullo of TribLive, 41 parents raised concerns during a 2½-hour Penn-Trafford school board meeting on Monday, 19 October. The meeting, held in the high school auditorium, included a public-comment period of nearly two hours in which residents questioned the impact of closing an elementary school and changing the grades taught in other district buildings.

The district has put forward three consolidation options. The first two, presented on 5 October, would close McCullough Elementary and change grade arrangements in the district’s remaining elementary and middle schools. A third plan, presented during Monday’s meeting, would instead close Level Green Elementary.

What Are Penn-Trafford’s Proposed Consolidation Plans?

Under Plan A, Penn-Trafford High School would remain unchanged. Penn Middle would become Penn-Trafford Middle School for grades seven and eight, while Trafford Middle/Elementary would become an upper elementary school for grades five and six. Harrison Park and Sunrise would serve grades one to four as East and West Elementary respectively, Level Green would become an all-day kindergarten centre, and McCullough would close.

Plan B also retains the high school unchanged and closes McCullough. Penn Middle would serve grades seven and eight, Sunrise would become the upper elementary school for grades five and six, while Harrison Park and Trafford Middle/Elementary would serve grades one to four. Level Green would again become an all-day kindergarten centre.

Plan C differs by closing Level Green rather than McCullough. Sunrise, Harrison Park and Trafford Middle/Elementary would serve kindergarten through grade four; McCullough would serve grades five and six; Penn Middle would serve grades seven and eight; and the high school would remain unchanged.

Superintendent Matthew Harris said the third proposal was intended to respond to concerns about potential transport impacts and the separation of kindergarten pupils into their own school building. “There might also be a Plan D after tonight,” Harris told parents and district residents, according to TribLive. “This came out of what we heard. We did listen. We were paying attention.”

Harris added: “I do want to make this right. I’ve been here 20 years. This is my 35th year in education. We have to do something, but we want to make sure it’s the right something.”

Why Are Parents Concerned About Bus Routes?

Transportation was the most frequently discussed issue among parents who addressed the board. Caroline Olasin, a Level Green parent, said the first two plans could make school drop-off and collection more difficult for her family.

“Can you imagine dropping off an eighth grader at Penn Middle and then having to go all the way over to Trafford for fifth grade and then back to Harrison Park to drop off a second grader?” she said, as reported by TribLive. “If you multiply that by a thousand families twice a day — we only have one thoroughfare through town — traffic is going to be a nightmare.”

Allison Florio said she was concerned that a longer bus journey would reduce the time she spends with her daughter, a fourth-grade pupil at Harrison Park. “Driving to and from school is not an option,” she said. “My husband and I both work full-time, not to mention the cost of gas. … We chose our property because my children are not more than five minutes from any school they will ever attend, and this has greatly enriched the quality of our lives.”

Lauren Davis, a Sunrise parent, said she opposed consolidation partly because it could place middle school pupils on the same buses as high school students. “We’re talking about 12-year-olds riding alongside 17- and 18-year-olds,” she said. “These children are at completely different stages of maturity and development.”

The potential financial effect of revised routes was also discussed. According to Harris, transport provider First Student told district officials that the consolidation plan could increase Penn-Trafford’s transportation costs by an estimated $539,000. TribLive reported that reworking bus routes could reduce the projected savings from closing a school.

How Could Consolidation Affect Younger Pupils?

Several parents focused on the possible effects on kindergarten and early elementary pupils. Laura Fetch, a McCullough parent, said she was most concerned about the first two proposals, which would turn Level Green into a kindergarten centre and move other elementary pupils to different buildings.

Fetch said her son, now a first-grader, benefited from having older elementary pupils to look up to during his transition into kindergarten last year. She said her daughter, who is due to begin kindergarten in a few years, would not have the same experience.

“She will go off to kindergarten alone. Despite having so many friends in our neighbourhood, none of them will be with her,” Fetch said, according to TribLive. “She will spend the entire year forming relationships with students and staff to have it all end just nine months later, and she’ll be starting all over again somewhere else.”

Mark Nicassio raised concerns about special education provision. His four-year-old daughter, who is expected to attend McCullough, has autism and is nonverbal. “I want her to feel safe and be understood. I want her to have the support she needs to learn,” he said. “I appreciate that you presented another option for McCullough tonight. My concern is what each (consolidation) option needs for our youngest children with disabilities, including my daughter.”

Board member Toni Ising, whose daughter with disabilities died 17 years ago, said she would “never approve any kind of plan that makes any cuts to special ed.”

What Did Parents Say About School Closures?

Parents also questioned the wider consequences of closing a neighbourhood school. Stacey Bauerle, who moved to Penn Township in 2014, said she and her husband chose the community because of its schools.

“My husband and I chose to raise our daughter here because of the schools,” she said.

“We don’t work here. We don’t shop here. We chose this community because we believed Penn-Trafford would provide our daughter with a great education. Today, I’m questioning that decision.”

Amanda Evers said she and her husband spent 2½ years bidding on houses so their daughter could attend McCullough, their first-choice elementary school. “I am asking you to please reconsider the decision to close the doors of this historic elementary school before exploring every possible option,”

she said.

High school senior Celia Sperber, the school board’s student representative, said pupils were also concerned. “The students I spoke with are not simply resistant to change,” she said.

“They are worried about losing traditions they grew up with, experiences that they have looked forward to and the communities that they know.”

Many parents asked administrators for further details about the consequences of closing a school and called on the board to pause further action while that information was gathered.

Why Is Penn-Trafford Considering Consolidation?

The consolidation discussion began in September after Rebecca Rodriguez, the district’s director of business affairs, reviewed budget concerns with the board. According to TribLive, Rodriguez said the board relied on district savings to address budget deficits from the 2021-22 school year through 2025-26, with shortfalls ranging from just under $85,000 to about $848,400.

She said those deficits reduced district savings from $10.3 million in 2021 to $6 million in 2025. Although she described the district as financially stable, Rodriguez said revenue was not expected to keep pace with future expenses.

District expenses have increased by nearly $2.2 million annually over the past five years, about $700,000 more per year than before 2021, Rodriguez told the board. She also said the district anticipates needing about $20 million for several projects in the coming years.

Board member John Otto suggested that consolidating schools could reduce spending. Rodriguez informed the board that closing one school would save about $1.3 million per year.

Board member Rich Niemiec said the district had discussed consolidating its eight schools for the past eight to 10 years. “It’s gotten to the point where we feel we’re getting into the right position where we can do it,” he said.

The district’s eight schools are Penn-Trafford High School, Penn Middle School, Trafford Middle School, and McCullough, Harrison Park, Sunrise, Level Green and Trafford elementary schools.

Which Buildings Are Under Consideration?

Administrators first proposed closing McCullough Elementary because of its age and the number of facility updates required, Harris said. TribLive reported that McCullough is 102 years old. Level Green Elementary, built in 1953, is the district’s third-oldest school.

Assistant Superintendent Tiffany Nix said administrators considered enrolment projections, building capacity, transportation, staffing, facility conditions, operating costs, educational programming and the impact on pupils and families when developing the options.

How Did the School Board Respond?

The school board agreed to defer a vote on advertising a public hearing about the consolidation plan until November. Board members John Otto and Rich Niemiec opposed the deferral. Board President Phil Kochasic was absent from the meeting.

Otto said he voted against tabling the advertisement because the motion was intended to continue the conversation and engage families. “The motion was simply to continue with the conversation and engage with our families in this community so that we can make a plan that works for everyone,” he said, according to TribLive.

Board member Scott Koscho sought to reassure residents that the board was taking the matter seriously. “We’re not making decisions on snap information,” he said. “And I think you heard tonight that there’s folks that want to hear more information before we move along.”

Board member Bryan Kline said he did not believe the district needed to close a school for financial reasons. He described the recent budget concerns as “a manufactured emergency.”

Nick Petrucci, who has served on the school board for two decades, said he had proposed for years that the district set aside one mill in its budget for facility upgrade projects, but had not secured sufficient support from other board members.

Petrucci said he would like to see an addition built at the high school to educate seventh- and eighth-grade pupils. “It bothers me that this building is one third empty,” he said, noting that the high school is 500 pupils below capacity. “It eats me up. There’s no getting around it.”

Background of the Development

Penn-Trafford School District’s consolidation discussion follows several years of financial pressure and long-running consideration of how best to use its eight school buildings. According to Rodriguez’s presentation to the board, the district used savings to cover annual budget deficits between 2021-22 and 2025-26, reducing reserves from $10.3 million to $6 million over that period.

The district’s expenses have risen by nearly $2.2 million a year in the past five years, while administrators also expect to need about $20 million for upcoming projects. Against that backdrop, board members have discussed whether closing one school could generate annual savings of about $1.3 million.

The proposals have developed in stages. Plans A and B, presented on 5 October, would close McCullough Elementary and reorganise grade levels across the district. Plan C, introduced on 19 October, would close Level Green Elementary instead. Harris said the newer option responded directly to concerns raised by families about transportation and the proposed kindergarten centre model.

The board has not yet voted to advertise a public hearing. It deferred that decision until November, leaving the next formal step in the process pending further discussion.

Prediction: How Could This Affect Penn-Trafford Families?

For Penn-Trafford parents and pupils, the immediate effect of the board’s decision to defer a vote is additional time to seek answers before any school closure or grade reorganisation is approved. Families may have further opportunities to question administrators about bus routes, journey times, school assignments, kindergarten arrangements and support for pupils with disabilities.

If the district ultimately proceeds with a consolidation plan, affected families could face changes to daily routines, including different drop-off and collection arrangements and potentially longer travel times. The district’s own information indicates that revised transport routes could add an estimated $539,000 in transportation costs, a figure that may influence whether the projected $1.3 million annual saving from closing a school is realised in full.

For parents of younger children, the outcome could determine whether kindergarten pupils remain within neighbourhood elementary schools or are placed in a separate centre. For families of pupils with disabilities, the board’s response to concerns raised by Mark Nicassio and Toni Ising may shape confidence in whether specialist support would be maintained through any transition.

For the wider community, the decision could affect perceptions of local schools, which several parents said influenced their decisions to move to Penn-Trafford. The board’s November decision on advertising a public hearing is likely to indicate how quickly the district moves from consultation towards a formal consolidation proposal.