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