Upper Darby officials delay decision on Charles Kelley School, set April 29 vote on 2025-26 closure

Superintendent Daniel McGarry told the Upper Darby School District Board of School Directors on Feb. 11 that the board has asked the administration and the district solicitor to negotiate a possible lease extension for Charles Kelley Elementary School and to consider keeping the school open for the 2025-26 school year. McGarry said the board will vote on the question during its April 29, 2025 public meeting; the vote will consider whether to close Charles Kelley at the conclusion of the 2025-26 school year rather than the 2024-25 school year.

Why it matters: the possible closure would trigger redistricting that the superintendent said would affect Highland Park, Hillcrest, Aronamik (transcribed as Eronomik/Aronamiq), and Stonehurst schools and will require staff and family engagement about student reassignment, transportation and other operational details. McGarry said administration and home-and-school associations are meeting and that the district will continue outreach to answer questions from families.

Details and process: McGarry said administrators and the solicitor are negotiating a lease-extension option and that the board “has asked the administration to consider keeping Charles Kelley Elementary School open for the 2025-26 school year.” He invited continuing written comments to charleskellyhearing@upperderbysd.org and said the district will post updates in its regular communications. The board set the April 29, 2025 public meeting as the date for a vote on whether to close the school at the end of the 2025-26 year.

What was discussed: McGarry said the administration has met with staff and home-and-school associations, and that the district will continue meetings with staff and families. He thanked families, staff and board members for engagement and asked the community to continue sending comments and questions to the provided hearing address. The superintendent also tied the matter into broader budget and enrollment planning the district is conducting.

Next steps and timeline: the board-directed negotiations (lease extension) are ongoing, staff will continue outreach meetings, and the board will take a formal public vote on April 29, 2025. The superintendent did not provide a final lease agreement or a firm fiscal analysis at the Feb. 11 meeting.

Public comment: the transcript records no in-person or online public comments during the Feb. 11 public comment period; McGarry and district staff encouraged written submissions to the hearing email for consideration ahead of the April vote.