Former Quakertown school superintendent to receive $200,000 severance – Bucks Round-Up – March 17, 2026
Former Quakertown school superintendent to receive $200,000 severance
The Quakertown Community School District and Matthew Friedman, the former superintendent, reached a severance agreement that will pay him over $200,000 through 2026. Friedman has been on paid leave since his resignation earlier this month. Under the terms of his most recent contract, Friedman’s annual salary was $240,000. The severance package includes a $54,000 payment for unused vacation and sick days, an amount that began to be paid February 8, as well as payment for the remainder of 2026, beginning 54.5 workdays after February 8. A second payout would begin after the unused days end in late April, leaving about 160 workdays of the year out of the 240 days in Friedman’s contract, resulting in an additional payout of $160,000, minus deductions. The district will pay Friedman’s full medical benefits through December 31. Friedman has been with the district since the beginning of the 2023-24 school year. The four-year contract was unanimously approved in the summer of 2023 and Friedman’s starting salary was $207,000 per year. Nothing has been said about Friedman’s departure other than that it was a confidential “personnel” issue.
Historic Hart property in Doylestown gets one step closer to new development
A zoning amendment recommended by Doylestown Township planners paves the way for future townhome development on the historic Hart farm along Route 202. A decision by the Bucks County Historical Society to sell its 24-acre property created an uproar among preservationists and friends of the Society. The amendment gives the go-ahead to a developer to construct proposed multifamily housing in the zone that permits single-family attached dwellings in conjunction with the use of historic structures. Adding to the dissension is the history: The Hart farm was a gift to the Society from its owner, George M. Hart, in the 1990s, with preservation in mind. The Society explained its decision to sell was financial, allowing the entity to concentrate on its primary mission, preserving and operating the Mercer Museum and Fonthill Castle in Doylestown. The developer, Zaveta Custom Homes, has presented an updated plan for 36 luxury townhomes, plus renovation of the interior of the primary stone house. Opponents cite the Hart property’s place in the early history of Bucks County and the intention of its last owner, George Hart, as reason to save it from development. Originally, the land was part of the Free Society of Traders and sold to Jeremiah Langhorne in 1724. The 24 acres include a multi-section stone house, a stone-timber frame barn, a spring house, and a wooden shed.
Mosque meeting moved to end of month
A proposed plan for a mosque on Buck Road was met with strong opposition in the Lower Southampton community at last week’s zoning board meeting. It was rescheduled to 7 p.m. on March 31 at the Poquessing Middle School in Feasterville. Owners of the Al-Asr Islamic Community Center on Buck Road requested a zoning variance to permit them to expand the property to include a mosque and after-school religious and social activities. The township and applicants have completed paperwork for the earlier meeting, including establishing party status for those directly involved in the application. But township residents who can show they are more directly affected by the zoning application than the public also will be granted party status, which entitles the person attending a legal proceeding to speak, present evidence, call witnesses, and more.
Pat Wandling is a veteran journalist, formerly of the Bucks County Courier, and was a mainstay on WBCB for over 20 years.
