Upper Darby SD facilities update: more than 80 projects completed; facilities condition assessment shows $273M need

The Upper Darby School District Finance and Operations Committee received an informational capital projects update from Marvin Lee, the district’s director of operations, who summarized more than 80 projects completed in the most recent cycle and outlined planned work for 2024–25.

Lee said the district is standardizing design specifications and improving project processes while completing major renovations at Upper Darby High School and several secondary schools. He reported that a facilities condition assessment completed earlier (February 2023) identified approximately $273,000,000 of required investment across district buildings: about $86,000,000 for architectural work (doors, bathrooms, floors, ceilings), $71,000,000 for building envelopes (foundations, roofs, exterior walls, windows) and about $150,000,000 for mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems.

Lee highlighted the Upper Darby High School auditorium renovation — replacement seating, new floors, ceilings, enclosed audio/video control room and newly installed ADA‑accessible wheelchair platforms — and library renovations across multiple schools to create more open, collaborative spaces. He described phased work in secondary schools that first replaced stage lighting and sound equipment, then updated seating and architectural finishes.

Other completed or near‑completion projects listed included locker room renovations, replacement of rooftop air conditioning units at Westbrook Park Elementary, hallway and classroom floor replacements at Hillcrest Elementary (including asbestos abatement where required), parking and paving work at the high school practice field, and a baseball/softball field renovation that the administration estimates it completed for about $1.5 million (administration’s cost estimate). On athletic fields, Lee said the district will install a sand‑grid drainage system intended to allow fields to become usable roughly 30 minutes after rain.

Lee told the committee the district recently received a $1,780,000 grant to remove asbestos‑containing material at four schools (Garrett Ford, Hillcrest, Westbrook Park and Beverly Hills) and that the total cost for that abatement work is expected to be about $4,500,000. He said the district plans to replace 198 interior doors at Garrett Ford and is developing scopes for HVAC work at Drexel Hill, Beverly Hills and other elementary buildings. Lee also said the district is conducting a feasibility study on solar panels and is awaiting approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Education for kitchen and cafeteria improvements.

Committee members asked about unauthorized after‑hours use and vandalism on athletic fields. District staff described a mix of responses — security staffing, use of cameras and calls to police in some cases — and noted that citations are rare. The administration reported installing turnstiles at Beverly Hills and other sites and raising fence heights to limit unauthorized access.

The presentation emphasized ongoing constraints: some summer work was performed while portions of buildings remained occupied for programs, supply‑chain and labor availability can change timing and scope, and the final scope for planned projects will depend on available funding and regulatory approvals. Lee closed by saying that all future projects will be presented through the facilities report and brought to the full board for approval when required.