Richard Detwiler of Souderton Area for All speaks at the Oct. 23 Souderton Area School District school board meeting. (Courtesy of Souderton Area School District)
Tensions between board and residents began last summer after member Bill Formica made a social media post accusing then Vice President Kamala Harris of engaging in sex acts to advance her career
On the cusp of the November general election, several community members sounded off on the current GOP-led Souderton Area School Board at the board’s Thursday, October 23 meeting, accusing members of engaging in a pattern of misconduct, secrecy and retaliation.
“Board trust is in free fall,” said Maureen Kratz of Right to Know Souderton, an organization that promotes district transparency and accountability. “It’s not leadership; it’s fear. Power is temporary, records are permanent and the truth always comes out.”
Longstanding tensions
Tensions between board members and residents began last summer after board member Bill Formica made a social media post accusing then Vice President Kamala Harris of engaging in sex acts to advance her career. Community members later uncovered additional posts by Formica in which he disparaged teachers and non-English speakers and characterized slavery as beneficial for Black Americans.
Despite immense community outrage and vocal demands for Formica’s resignation, the board took no action against Formica and remained largely silent on the controversy.
Tensions further escalated in November 2024 when the ACLU filed a freedom of speech lawsuit against the district over a newly-imposed photo ID requirement for board meetings, a prohibition of anti-Formica rallies on school property and cease and desist orders against two parents and a student who were accused of harassing board member Kim Wheeler. The board later rescinded the photo ID requirement, while the cease and desist orders were lifted after surveillance video contradicted the district’s account. The lawsuit is ongoing.
Most recently, community members have attempted to link board member Kim Wheeler to the Facebook Page “Souderton Strong.” Created in July 2025, the page, with a “Souderton Republicans” handle, has repeatedly defended board actions, while sharing derisive posts and memes about board critics as well as a district teacher. Among other things, community members have pointed to a post sharing a screenshot taken by Wheeler as evidence of her affiliation with the page.
Residents sound off
At Thursday’s meeting, several community members took to the podium to accuse the board of engaging in a pattern of secrecy, retaliation, deception and financial mismanagement.
Kratz, who was barred from attending the September 2024 board meeting due to the photo ID requirement and later founded “Right to Know Souderton,” cited the “false” cease and desist letters, a purported $8.7 million in missing transportation receipts and 12 confidential settlement agreements in the past year.
“What kind of district hides this much? What kind of leadership fears questions, bans critics, seals records and lies to taxpayers? What else is buried that we haven’t uncovered yet?” asked Kratz. “When you hide, our debt climbs, our credit rating falls, our taxes go up and transparency collapses.”
John Waldenberger encouraged Wheeler to “come clean” about her alleged affiliation with the Souderton Strong Facebook page and resign from her position.
“Whether it’s you behind the page or somebody you’ve obviously been feeding stuff too, now would be the time to lead by example and come clean,” said Waldenberger. “Admit your involvement or who you’d been feeding stuff too and resign immediately. And if anyone else in this board was involved, now would be the time today. Where’s the honesty?”
Chris Spiegel, one of the recipients of the cease and desist orders, similarly condemned the board, saying that the order prevented him from participating in his child’s education. He described the order as “retaliation” for speaking out against Formica and other board members.
“These letters threatened arrest and were targeted to punish those who spoke up at previous meetings,” said Spiegel. “I was locked out of my school life simply for speaking up, for doing what every caring parent does. No one ever apologized. No one has addressed this.”
Richard Detwiler, founder of Souderton Area for All, a grassroots organization dedicated to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion in the school district, echoed Spiegel’s sentiments, denouncing the board for refusing to settle the ACLU lawsuit and driving up district litigation expenses.
“The board still has not issued a single apology for their missteps. And almost one year later, you still resist settling the ACLU lawsuit for reasons completely unknown,” said Detwiler. “The school district and their lawyers are the ones costing the district money for litigation expenses, not the plaintiffs who ask for nothing more than for the board to stop behaving badly.”
Following public comment, district solicitor Timothy Gilsbach stated that the board is legally prohibited from commenting on the ACLU lawsuit. In response to Kratz’s criticism about the district’s legal settlements, he argued that case settlements are less costly than going to trial.
“Cases settle for a lot of reasons, and I can tell you, we bill less hours on a case that settles than a case that goes to court,” said Gilsbach.
The board offered no further comment on the residents’ remarks.
Per Capita Tax elimination
The board approved a resolution to eliminate the district’s Per Capita Tax, a $10 tax on every adult district resident, effective July 2026. The tax currently generates roughly $284,000 in annual revenue. The resolution states that the funds would be more efficiently collected as part of the district’s property tax levy.
During public comment, some residents expressed opposition to the resolution, describing it as fiscally irresponsible and political pandering.
“I don’t think removing it right now without an explicit plan in place to replace that lost revenue is fiscally responsible. It would be very irresponsible in my opinion,” said Waldenberger. “This is a matter that needs to go to an advertised public hearing that all residents and taxpayers can attend and have their voices heard.”
“It seems like pre-election pandering; a chance to go to the polls and boast that you cut a tax, while hiding the truth that we’re gonna pay it anyway,” said Kratz. “I want lower taxes as much as everybody else, but this isn’t tax relief; it’s a shell game. You’re planning on raising taxes next year likely to 3.5 percent. This isn’t fiscal leadership; it’s blatant political pandering.”
However, Franconia Township tax collector Keith Freed defended the resolution, characterizing the tax as outdated and ineffective.
“One of the biggest issues we have with it is it’s not manageable. You can track properties, property sells, but you can’t track people in our community today,” said Freed. “It’s not an effective tax. It has [outlived] its usefulness as far as the tax base for the community.”
Halteman Gate
Numerous residents raised concerns about the security gate at the high school’s back entrance off Halteman Road. They noted that the gate has left just one access point to the school off Lower Road, increasing traffic and impeding the arrival of emergency personnel.
“All cars currently are directed out the Lower Road exit every afternoon,” said Steve Lowry. “I’ve seen complete chaos when I’m here, whether it’s to pick up my kids or when I come to officiate a sports event. At dismissal time, it’s a free-for-all and a race to beat the buses out of the parking lot. This is very concerning.”
“We need to open the Halteman gate and leave it open,” Lowry continued. “This will allow better distribution of traffic and quicker response times to medical personnel when needed, not to mention the over all safety of everyone coming and leaving campus.”
“Why does a school of this size, approximately 2,000 students, 150 teachers and support staff, have only one way in and one way out?” asked Rich Halteman. “That is a major concern. Safety for the teachers and students should be above all else.”
“There should be two driveways. All other schools have two driveways, no gates,” said Marilyn Miller. “The school is public property. There should be no gates keeping the public out of the school. There shouldn’t be for safety reasons. You hear of all these school shootings, and you have one entrance. It should not be.”
In response, Superintendent Frank Gallagher said that the gate has been closed at a neighbor’s request but that he has asked permission from Franconia Township to open the gate more frequently. He added that he recently held a meeting with police officials about the issue and will soon meet with township officials.
“I have put that request in many times over the years,” said Gallagher. “I learned just a couple weeks ago that there was a neighbor on the other side that was closing it on her own, and I will be addressing that. I am with you on this and I will be determined to make sure that gate gets open at least more than it is now.”
The next Souderton Area School District school board meeting is on November 20 at 7 p.m. For more information, visit soudertonsd.org
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