A county court on Wednesday approved Quakertown Community School District’s plan to sell 127 acres to a national developer.
The district sought $7.8 million for the three parcels on West Pumping Station Road, land it acquired in 2015 for $1.75 million for a future elementary and middle school. The district claims it no longer needs the land because enrollment is stagnant. District data from 2017 to 2024 bear that out, showing flat figures for kindergarten, grades 6-8 and 9-12, with overall enrollment in that period down from approximately 5,800 students to 4,707 in the current school year.
It is estimated up to 150 homes could eventually be built by developer D.R. Horton; a sale could potentially reverse the district’s falling enrollment numbers and cut into its $12 million deficit but create traffic headaches for residents angered by growing development in the area.
Kris Keenan, who lives next to the site, claimed on social media that the area was mostly wetlands and unsuitable for a housing development. However, school board director Chris Spear defended the sale, noting the district utilized wetland delineation maps and concluded there is enough suitable land for either housing or school construction.
In a 2024 study of the nation’s most trusted home builders, D.R. Horton ranked 18th out of 20 brands. Nearly 59,000 people responded to the survey by Lifestory Research.
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