[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6256885,"mediaKeyId","3155205-0367e3cd7f96648fd064ba496171aa7a","parentId",3155205,"title","Upper Darby settled $45 million from spring bond issuance; board asked to move proposed 2025–26 budget (3% tax increase) to May 13 vote","audioSeconds",1965,"startMs",4711000,"endMs",6676000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3155205-0367e3cd7f96648fd064ba496171aa7a&start=4711&end=6676","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3155205-0367e3cd7f96648fd064ba496171aa7a/thumbnail_4711000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6256885/Pennsylvania/Upper-Darby-settled-45-million-from-spring-bond-issuance-board-asked-to-move-proposed-202526-budget-3-tax-increase-to-May-13-vote","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6256885-b1867286ccdbdaaf66975486c8dc5a3a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156497&Signature=Q6Hd4bsW4YuGj6uTtnNwUUfYlGIFJpwqovh7S1eX1kBt2shKxlZzQORRw5gXLjWOJUs31rO7TSrg-LH9e7yIx28VfRqBk16o7BFzlwrj70uGmtexmtNe~eLaktp0yMTK7l6AJUVMjCWgP5qJT85xc4VEBrTM6Codi0IytWGnO0ovXfeKb8-HPq4PltajRaPwTazB2ADjfMj1Kp9yFWdBApm6A1eJjTbsIhPCfFXqRgDJxUioDbmuF0j9uK9jo8YSc52NvWwHyRhprmAZccjuX0VdN-GU5x5dGr5fTvS3~qQ4Lgc83n5ln49tR5hE13WUP8SEddhunC2jecpza-UAGg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Upper Darby School District","date","2025-04-30T08:23:55.933Z","article","The Upper Darby School District reported the recent settlement of its 2025 general obligation bond issuance and presented a proposed final general fund budget for 2025–26 that would include a 3% tax increase and use $7,776,000 of fund balance.

Craig Rogers (board secretary/business office) summarized the 2025 bond issuance, saying the par amount was $43,890,000 and the funds deposited to the district’s construction account totaled approximately $45,000,000 after premium, discount and issuance costs. Rogers described the issuance as the second step of a three-issuance plan to finance Clifton Heights Middle School construction; the board was told the arbitrage yield was 4.714 and that the district locked rates and settled the issuance April 23, 2025.

Rogers said multiple issuances were chosen to mitigate interest-rate risk and to allow potential refinancing opportunities later. The district reported Moody’s completed a credit opinion and that the finance team worked with financial advisors to time the issuance amid volatile market conditions.

On the proposed 2025–26 budget, Rogers presented the Act 1 process timeline and said the district is proposing a 3% property-tax increase (below the district’s adjusted index of 5.8) and planning to present the proposed final budget for board approval at the May 13, 2025 voting meeting. Under the proposal, revenues and expenditure changes result in a projected use of fund balance of $7,776,000; Rogers noted the proposed budget includes awarded grants such as a PCCD school safety grant ($337,000), a school environmental repair grant tied to asbestos abatement (about $1,780,000) and a DCED life-safety grant ($1,000,000) that requires a roughly 50/50 local match.

Administrators cautioned the budget does not include any ESSER federal relief funding (all ESSER funds expired Sept. 30, 2024) and highlighted uncertainty about future federal funding streams. Superintendent and board members discussed possible federal cuts affecting Title II (professional development) and other federal programs (Title I, Title III, IDEA), noting the district is planning conservatively and that some federal sources may be reduced or removed in the upcoming federal budget cycle.

Board members asked about the district’s fund balance and capital reserves. Rogers said the district’s audited general-fund balance was about $36.8 million, with roughly $13.1 million of that listed as unassigned and available for flexibility; administrators described a capital reserve in the “$30 million range” built over time through transfers and conservative financial management. The board agreed by consensus to move the proposed final budget forward for a May 13 vote and to continue the June timeline required by the Act 1 process.

The presentation covered staffing assumptions (no net new positions proposed; vacant positions will be reassigned to meet shifting needs), revenue assumptions based on the governor’s proposed state budget (the district budgeted conservatively at roughly 40% of newly outlined RTL/foundation funding where noted) and contingency planning in the face of uncertain state and federal revenue.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","UDSD School Board Committee Meetings: April 2025 (LIVE STREAM)","oneSentenceSummary","The Upper Darby School District reported a recent bond settlement that provided about $45 million for construction and presented a proposed 2025–26 general fund budget that includes a 3% tax increase and a $7.776 million planned use of fund balance.","taxTitle","Upper Darby SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania","taxId",14584,"location","Pennsylvania","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6256888,"Upper Darby outlines summer 2025 facilities plan: asbestos abatement, new floors and 7,000+ pieces of furniture; schedule, grants and retirements noted",280,3077000,3357000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3155205-0367e3cd7f96648fd064ba496171aa7a&start=3077&end=3357","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3155205-0367e3cd7f96648fd064ba496171aa7a/thumbnail_3077000.jpg","/articles/6256888/Pennsylvania/Upper-Darby-outlines-summer-2025-facilities-plan-asbestos-abatement-new-floors-and-7000-pieces-of-furniture-schedule-grants-and-retirements-noted","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6256888-e4244a96432b2331347c3e77eac14efd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156497&Signature=F6JPepU6w9BH9EfDvk4Ydf8j6wKGCzjt~XyXcttwv6TJrdVmUyRcA~n7ih-USbXPKnyGBNzD276JF0EYd3tIYxn6AC9yNC0-uGT9wL-uDA7-HbsuDKdFnlyBOve5LZxVpMg44kaJMSBS31skxFXtxNDq6YQUIPx323m9ZtkydwObwuRKmVZh6uxdFSm23grYhgIgtZg6xCrJiWJ7oGZH0X~xZtjRLRPU51Mh2z7fqm68xlt8EQiFKz4nWAU44nvyELkqjZLE59UIAliUqFUmsf8zPkEH3bseUZG8L4lBMIF9QzAWpwphBpqZmhjkH6-s4JuTrVMkVqnBldQ2tR7N6Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Upper Darby School District presented a detailed update on major summer 2025 facilities work, with the administration saying asbestos abatement, floor replacement and new furniture are the priority projects across multiple schools.

Marvin Lee, the district’s director of operations, told the Finance and Operations Committee the asbestos abatement program targets four schools and is funded in part by a $1,780,000 state grant. Lee said the district will remove confirmed, accessible asbestos but “we will not knock down a wall to abate asbestos behind the walls,” and noted that reinspections are required every three years with visual checks every six months thereafter.

Because asbestos is concentrated in floor tiles and the adhesive, Lee said the project will leave bare concrete and require installation of new flooring; the district plans to standardize tile colors and patterns across schools to streamline inventory and future replacement. The administration expects to purchase more than 7,000 desks and chairs for students and staff as part of the work and said negotiated pricing is significantly below state contract costs.

Lee said the asbestos, floor and furniture work is scheduled for the 70 days of summer and described the timetable as “very tight.” Board members asked about contingencies if work slips, and Vice President Murphy Morrissey said administrators have discussed the possibility of delaying the start of the school year only as a worst-case option. Lee said the contractors who won the bids are obligated to meet the timelines and that the district checked contractor availability before bidding.

The district also plans HVAC unit replacements at Beverly Hills Middle School and Primos Elementary School for targeted office and classroom wings. Work on toilet-room renovations at Highland Park and a high-school window replacement was delayed because of “budget uncertainties and other operational issues,” Lee said; the district described those projects as shovel-ready but postponed for timing and budget reasons.

Lee also acknowledged upcoming retirements in the facilities and procurement teams, noting maintenance manager Tim Leaf and purchasing supervisor Joe McGilvery will retire in July; board members praised their institutional knowledge and said their departures create an urgency to document facility knowledge before they leave.

Administration cautioned that the asbestos and related projects might exceed the $1,780,000 state grant total when furniture and other work are included; furniture purchases were described as a separate cost. The district said it will pursue additional grants and use internal contingency planning to cover shortfalls and will provide updates to the board and public as work progresses.","District operations director described a tight summer schedule to abate asbestos at four schools, replace floors and furniture, upgrade HVAC in targeted areas, and prepare contingencies; the district secured a $1.78 million state grant and plans to buy more than 7,000 furniture pieces.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6256893,"Upper Darby board adopts facilities report; potential sunsetting of Charles Kelley pushed to end of 2025–26 school year",363,2367000,2730000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3155205-0367e3cd7f96648fd064ba496171aa7a&start=2367&end=2730","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3155205-0367e3cd7f96648fd064ba496171aa7a/thumbnail_2367000.jpg","/articles/6256893/Pennsylvania/Upper-Darby-board-adopts-facilities-report-potential-sunsetting-of-Charles-Kelley-pushed-to-end-of-202526-school-year","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6256893-b41a42822a914ce5c663fd0752a8f88c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156497&Signature=CERdiIKI1R~hOt8QfjepyxDvvFy7rwxEcjuqlK-OzFBnyh7d8m0Lrmq~tg0-axndG5VGOlFEaY6a9vcS7U0obugRL0XLJowbnfJHHA2iaE8ysrQd36yeT11aT9m34IPzFhPkUPuESF1ui2oSeyZkIV3MDX-XbUdzGINvkp4P3JVtEFGEFVuxB4epfB8VYfF0SWxPFpU9xHsu430-J56ES1-8XWnaiANq3NSCn5ivhHxKch8OjBizer~VDPBu~M8-z2IYN8VMfoAzjmJ1cCyRRqhiJGt5pE8g9VwaLQUwwbldJ1P1n-sZSfhBraFf1B9evdbfjiCh4B~8fzKcvKL~kw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Upper Darby School District Board of Directors voted to adopt the Facilities Report, which includes a proposal that — if approved in later proceedings — would sunset Charles Kelley Elementary School at the end of the 2025–26 academic year.

Board members moved and seconded adoption of the report during the board voting meeting; the motion carried after voice vote.

The Facilities Report was presented to board members in advance and discussed during the meeting. Director Worsavage sought clarification that the sunsetting would occur at the end of the 2025–26 academic year; the administration confirmed that timing. Director Murphy Morrissey told staff and families the proposal came after “careful consideration” and that the board would keep stakeholders’ comments “under advisement.”

An emailed public comment from Joe Clark and Sadie Thomas, submitted April 29 regarding agenda item 2, opposed sunsetting the school without a replacement facility. The comment said students east of Lansdowne Avenue have been promised better facilities for years and criticized district priorities and busing and safety concerns. Miss Buford read the comment into the record during the meeting’s public comment period.

The vote to adopt the Facilities Report was recorded by voice; the meeting record shows the motion carried. The Facilities Report itself, and any formal steps to close or repurpose Charles Kelley Elementary, would require follow-up actions by the board before a final change in school status is implemented.","The Upper Darby School District board adopted its Facilities Report after public comment opposing the proposed sunsetting of Charles Kelley Elementary; the report notes any sunsetting would take effect at the end of the 2025–26 academic year.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Upper Darby settled $45 million from spring bond issuance; board asked to move proposed 2025–26 budget (3% tax increase) to May 13 vote

Upper Darby outlines summer 2025 facilities plan: asbestos abatement, new floors and 7,000+ pieces of furniture; schedule, grants and retirements noted

Upper Darby board adopts facilities report; potential sunsetting of Charles Kelley pushed to end of 2025–26 school year