Upper Darby SD reports major summer renovations, near‑full staffing ahead of Aug. 19 opening
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Summary
District officials detailed asbestos abatement, new gym floors, HVAC upgrades and ongoing construction at Clifton Heights, and said about 98% of certified positions are filled with 13 vacancies remaining as of Aug. 4.
Upper Darby School District officials on Aug. 12 said extensive summer capital work is complete or underway at multiple schools and that staffing is close to full ahead of the Aug. 19 start of the 2025‑26 school year.
The superintendent outlined an ambitious slate of projects, saying the district completed asbestos abatement, replaced gym floors and installed new furniture at several elementary and middle schools and upgraded HVAC systems at Primus Elementary. Construction at Clifton Heights Middle School has steel erected and district leaders said they remain on pace to open the new building in August 2026; the district also plans public meetings about Clifton Heights and related redistricting.
The details matter because the renovations affect building safety, instructional space and community use of school facilities. District leaders said the projects were coordinated while sites remained in heavy public use and thanked operations staff for completing work over the summer.
Superintendent (staff member) credited the capital team and facilities staff for the summer work. “We are renovating and improving Beverly Hills Middle School … Hillcrest Elementary School … Primus Elementary School has new HVAC ventilation systems have been updated,” the superintendent said. The superintendent named Craig Rogers (chief financial officer) and Marvin Lee (director of operations) among staff overseeing projects and thanked managers and principals for coordinating the work.
Officials said asbestos abatement took place at Beverly Hills Middle, Hillcrest Elementary, Gowerford Elementary and Westwood Park Elementary; gym floors and new furniture were installed at Hillcrest, Gowerford and Westwood Park; and HVAC upgrades were completed at Primus. The district also said it will publish photos and additional updates on the district website.
On staffing, the superintendent said the district has “approximately 98% of our professional staff positions filled.” As of an Aug. 4 staffing report the district listed 13 unfilled positions out of 984 total professional teaching staff. The administration identified remaining needs in special education (including autistic support), reading specialists, English‑language learner services and some secondary math and science positions; it also noted continuing needs for crossing guards, bus drivers and noontime assistants.
District leaders said they had arranged contingency staffing and that any current secondary classroom vacancies would be covered by current Upper Darby teachers, sometimes with an additional paid assignment. “We will be opening schools on time with appropriate staff as our highest priority,” the superintendent said.
Board members and administrators acknowledged the inconvenience construction can cause and asked the community to watch for redistricting notices and Clifton Heights public meetings on the district website.
The district said it will provide a more complete facilities update after the Aug. 19 staff kickoff and in the September meeting packet.
