[{"_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",5970278,"mediaKeyId","5842900-373d1eb589315a491a5fe12795d62532","parentId",5842900,"title","Upper Darby administration proposes closing Charles Kelley Elementary; board agrees to advertise hearing","audioSeconds",2662,"startMs",372000,"endMs",3034000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5842900-373d1eb589315a491a5fe12795d62532&start=372&end=3034","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5842900-373d1eb589315a491a5fe12795d62532/thumbnail_372000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5970278/Pennsylvania/Upper-Darby-administration-proposes-closing-Charles-Kelley-Elementary-board-agrees-to-advertise-hearing","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5970278-d6c3905607f3030372bf39dd3fed402d/orig.mp4?Expires=1775260930&Signature=CGHpNtuvu-g8nk6JJFcPImSXWVRqDRx6u21BYS~Rg9OONr7iwW4xFot3U6V3~wyIwkrWSOT5nvn1AfquLtqLGjtdfX2pSFTRrUfJl5XalqhjLKwxIIbbuE2fvUqW-GeotyVbIRFwb6sLWWMplp4COLluR-R3NqsAb0vM-5qtBgOQlXX6kW6-HylrH5xjhGE3aBpLMju99ydnr-GbHTalQHYrHHQ6F0UIt8R-2snICaJ10fKFjo9jMaNOX1PXUrnEejEj-BKwDqPk21r-2EEkMQSfa6fmLu~laweyZQDdc3fUUDZjLdiSCmG4n847pSPX2-7jf~-Zrrfmfd-USQ~WHg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Upper Darby School District","date","2025-09-22T00:00:00Z","article","Upper Darby School District administrators told the Finance and Operations Committee on Tuesday that they are proposing to close Charles Kelley Elementary School and redistrict students to nearby district‑owned buildings, and they asked the board to authorize a formal, advertised closure hearing beginning in January.

The presentation focused on short‑term elementary redistricting intended to eliminate leased space and to move students into Upper Darby‑owned schools. District officials said students in grades 1–5 from Charles Kelley would be reassigned to Highland Park and Stonehurst Hills elementary schools, while kindergarten students from the affected catchment would continue to attend the district kindergarten center. Administrators said they would advertise a closure hearing no later than Jan. 13, 2025, hold the hearing on Jan. 28, 2025 (5 p.m.), keep the public comment record open for at least 90 days, and return to the board for a possible closure vote at the April 29, 2025 committee/board meeting.

Administrators emphasized the proposal is intended to reduce reliance on leased, non‑district facilities and to preserve staffing levels within the district. “No one will be losing their job with this proposed movement,” the presentation said, and the administration described plans to reassign eight full‑time equivalent positions from Charles Kelley to fill vacancies elsewhere (three reading specialists, two ESL teachers, two special‑education teachers and one classroom teacher) for the 2025–26 school year.

Why it matters: school leaders framed the change as a facilities and fiscal decision tied to leases, long‑running facility plans, and funding uncertainty. The district said the current Charles Kelley lease is expiring and that continuing to invest in a building the district does not own has limits; administrators estimated roughly $460,000 in annual savings from ending the lease (leasing payments, insurance, cleaning and basic maintenance) if students move back into district‑owned schools.

Key details presented by the administration:
- Student shifts (approximate, administration figures): Eronimic/Aronimic Elementary would gain about 90 students; Stonehurst Hills would gain about 100 students; Highland Park would lose about 60 students. (Presenter: Doctor Lambert/administration.)
- Transportation: administrators said 100% of Charles Kelley students are currently transported by six school buses and that the proposed reassignments would result in a net reduction of approximately 55 bus‑eligible students district‑wide. The district said any freed bus capacity would likely be used for special‑education transportation rather than producing an immediate budgetary savings.
- Staffing: eight FTEs at Charles Kelley are intended to be reallocated to district vacancies; the administration expressly said staff would remain district employees and that the change is not a layoff plan.
- Timeline: if the board approves authorization tonight to advertise a hearing, the ad would run no later than Jan. 13, the hearing would be Jan. 28, public comment would remain open at least 90 days (to Apr. 29), and a board vote to close the building could occur as early as Apr. 29, 2025. Staff notification of any final decision would follow immediately after a board vote.

Board reaction and next steps: after questions from directors about class‑size guidelines, feeder patterns and how families will find their new catchment assignments, the committee indicated consensus to move the item forward to the special voting meeting so the district may advertise and hold the required closure hearing. Administrators said they will prepare street‑by‑street catchment attachments to accompany policy 206 if the process advances and will hold home‑and‑school and community meetings after the hearing is advertised.

What was not decided: no final vote to close Charles Kelley occurred at this meeting. The committee’s action was to allow the administration and solicitor to take steps to advertise and hold the statutorily required hearing; any final decision on closure would follow the advertised public comment period and a board vote.

Context and background: the administration reviewed a facilities study completed in 2023, described long‑running efforts since 2015–2016 to reduce modular classrooms and consolidate neighborhood attendance, and noted broader funding pressures the district faces. Administrators also noted the long timeline for past major facility projects in the district (for example, a new middle school in Clifton Heights) and described the proposal as an effort to preserve staffing and better align students with district‑owned buildings.

What to watch next: the board’s special voting meeting (to authorize advertising) and the Jan. 28, 2025 advertised hearing are the next formal milestones. The April 29, 2025 board meeting is the date flagged by administration for a potential final vote on closure following the minimum 90‑day comment period.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Finance & Operations Committee Meeting: December 2024","oneSentenceSummary","Upper Darby School District administrators told the Finance and Operations Committee on Tuesday that they are proposing to close Charles Kelley Elementary School and redistrict students to nearby district‑owned buildings, and they asked the board to authorize a formal, advertised closure hearing beginning in January.","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},5970269,"Board moves revised policies 607 (tuition income) and 805.2 (school security personnel) to second reading",4533,3517000,8050000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5842900-373d1eb589315a491a5fe12795d62532&start=3517&end=8050","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5842900-373d1eb589315a491a5fe12795d62532/thumbnail_3517000.jpg","/articles/5970269/Pennsylvania/Board-moves-revised-policies-607-tuition-income-and-8052-school-security-personnel-to-second-reading","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5970269-56e14802cbaad811969f0ed595954585/orig.mp4?Expires=1775260930&Signature=iMqnnH3NqrUYkRRy6I6w~jcpjlhZXyk6SDCHbw-CzR1ToqHx1iZCMd-BlzEjd32ruD6eMhgeZ3maqpcYSTOsfy5O3-rSxq1uSjpppJsgl3SFTDZWMflenZY1Hj39S7Ex6rblnag7PQ4eb-ZGaS8fd3UcA7RqBPUBi1DRiMvy3y5s0IEsR9WdEeoEZZHcP3S7ESfglqbhG4CjPc4L6mXkxvQOm1Ya91plJREBskHqLogZi8sgGv4UAsoFhQbxpsjYDNoxBnJKbSliP8pySV1wJCyXIr0TuXdXbxg0Ur7OWIxqdxy08Y3RZDQHrMuyFT~y-OSxZ2Q-5g8H-cMzGtnPTA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Finance and Operations Committee reviewed two policy updates on Dec. 17 that the administration said are driven by recent state law changes. President Desnorris summarized the suggested revisions and the statutory drivers: updates to policy 607 (tuition income) incorporate language related to disenrollment based on overdue tuition payments and editorial clarifications tied to Act 67 of 2024 (Residents’ Right to Free School Privileges), and revisions to policy 805.2 reflect changes in school security personnel statutes tied to the Omnibus School Code Bill of 2024 (often referenced by administrators as Act 24 updates).

The committee treated the policy updates as board action items that require a first/second reading process. Directors indicated they wanted the revisions to move forward for the required second reading and approval at a subsequent board meeting; the committee recorded consensus to move the items forward for a second reading. The administration noted that the changes presented were summaries and that a fuller summary of Act 67 language was posted to BoardDocs in the “Education and Pupil Services summary of policy changes” document.

What was decided: the board agreed to advance policy 607 and policy 805.2 for the formal second reading and future board action; no final policy adoption occurred at the committee meeting.

What to watch next: the policies will appear for formal consideration at the next board meeting (second reading and adoption vote), per the district’s policy adoption process.","The committee reviewed proposed policy updates tied to recent state legislative changes (Act 67 of 2024 and the Omnibus School Code Bill / Act 24) and the board agreed to move two policies — 607 (tuition/income) and 805.2 (school security personnel) — forward for formal second reading and eventual board approval.",{"_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},5970273,"Upper Darby presents three options for high school natatorium: maintain, renovate or repurpose",663,3033000,3696000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5842900-373d1eb589315a491a5fe12795d62532&start=3033&end=3696","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5842900-373d1eb589315a491a5fe12795d62532/thumbnail_3033000.jpg","/articles/5970273/Pennsylvania/Upper-Darby-presents-three-options-for-high-school-natatorium-maintain-renovate-or-repurpose","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5970273-8a59e15e84a6c9c9f7ccafba2589908b/orig.mp4?Expires=1775260930&Signature=Nsl5n26n9mwkh-zrN1aMuGC7-lOblc15qKGesyyaQKEihkIbFksJkObLxVqRE7GgsnYTJXlYEcxyLzXPHjszR9o71sQ0B3rvvhxYx1l725YMqeuM~4GkRprfr3-e-ht4y5DHfq1F9gkK1ugJcyKpmhm0OuhvZqxa9b45iwcD-NOqteC5RWhdUCczqPf1gYE8D--Hino3iLq5hnx4iAaxbUpXmLnE-mpQ7aEBmHaA3F6E~Uf0UW0gp34kRmnbTapUJuvC2nibpfil8iiB6VEo0ybQx5w9OCGMzKNHOCfrlZeGnPj8CLflI7QxxoWlQKkKm8q8FGwiW9SKU09yfwK2lQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District operations staff presented three options for the Upper Darby High School natatorium at the Finance and Operations Committee meeting: (1) maintain (repair as needed and operate), (2) renew (a comprehensive renovation that an engineering estimate put at about $12.4 million), or (3) “reimagine” the space (repurpose roughly 20,000 square feet for student mental‑health services and other uses). The presentation and more than 40 public commenters prompted the board to ask administration for more concrete costings and procurement options before taking action.

What the district said: Marvin Lee, director of operations, said the natatorium requires major investment to continue operating. He described the facility as aging, with mechanical systems — including the pool HVAC/“pool pack” — past typical useful life, concrete walls and piping showing signs of deterioration, shower‑room needs and ongoing chemical costs. The district presented an external condition assessment that produced a line‑item scope with 67 items and a budget estimate of about $12,400,000 for a full renovation.

The administration also provided an operating baseline: roughly $30,000 in fixed annual costs plus $25,000–$35,000 in ongoing maintenance and repairs (total about $55,000–$65,000 per year); an estimated $6,400 per month (presenter’s figure) to heat the pool to ~78–82°F year‑round; and an approximate pool volume of 200,000 gallons. The district said the pool generates limited rental revenues (the presentation cited about $9,000 in rental revenue in one year from outside organizations) while outside users — local university teams, the Lansdowne YMCA and others — still rely on the facility for practices and rentals.

Reimagine option: administration proposed repurposing the space for an intentional student mental‑health suite and complementary uses (indoor athletic space, technology hub, shower/laundry for students experiencing homelessness). The district presented Pennsylvania Youth Survey data showing elevated student mental‑health needs and noted that roughly 338–546 students were classified as homeless in recent years; the reimagine option would, administrators said, allow programming designed to address those needs. The administration added that the conceptual images shown were AI‑generated mockups, not final designs.

Board direction: members expressed strong community concern for preserving the pool and its programs. Several board members asked the administration to obtain more concrete, short‑term cost estimates and to solicit competitive bids/RFPs for (a) limited, near‑term repairs that would allow the pool to operate safely for a defined short term (committee discussion suggested a five‑year horizon), (b) a full renovation scope and cost, and (c) a repurposing option with operating and staffing models. Directors also discussed revisiting facility‑use policy (policy 707) to permit revenue generation from outside users. The administration said they would return with more detailed estimates and RFP outcomes.

Community response: more than 40 public commenters — including current and former swimmers, coaches, parents, alumni and YMCA and Marlins representatives — described the pool as central to student opportunities, life skills (swim lessons, lifeguard training), youth development, college access and community recreation. Many speakers urged the board to prioritize options 1 or 2 (maintain or renovate) and cautioned that relocating practices to college pools would create transportation, scheduling and equity issues for student athletes.

What was not decided: no formal vote to close or convert the pool was taken. The committee directed staff to return with more detailed cost proposals and procurement documents; the board asked that the pool remain part of planning discussions rather than be assumed lost to repurposing without full cost comparisons.","District staff laid out three paths for the Upper Darby High School pool — short‑term maintenance, a full $12.4 million renovation, or repurposing the 20,000‑square‑foot space for student mental‑health and multipurpose uses — and the board asked administration to return with concrete short‑term cost estimates and RFP options.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Upper Darby administration proposes closing Charles Kelley Elementary; board agrees to advertise hearing

Board moves revised policies 607 (tuition income) and 805.2 (school security personnel) to second reading

Upper Darby presents three options for high school natatorium: maintain, renovate or repurpose