Upper Darby board interviews two applicants to fill seat left by Neil Desnoyers

The Upper Darby School District board held a special meeting to review the resignation of Director Neil Desnoyers (effective May 29, 2025) and to interview two applicants for the vacancy the board may fill before the seat appears on the November 2025 municipal ballot.

At the start of the meeting the board confirmed Board member Fields was participating virtually and excused Board member Worsavage due to illness. The agenda, which the district posted to BoardDocs at least 24 hours before the meeting, was moved by Director Deborah Williams, seconded by Vice President Williams and approved by voice vote, and the board then reviewed the timeline for filling the vacancy. Chair said the district advertised the opening in the Delaware County Times for three days and set the application deadline for noon on 06/13/2025. Under Pennsylvania law and district policy the board has up to 30 days of exclusive authority to appoint an interim member; the appointee would serve only until voters elect a replacement in November 2025 and the winner is seated at the December 2025 reorganizational meeting.

The board interviewed the applicants in the order their applications were received. The first applicant (the record does not include a full name) described three years of experience in the district as a classroom assistant and substitute teacher, noted a personal connection as a parent of a 9‑year‑old with special needs, and cited an arts background including study at the Juilliard School and volunteer work with Summer Stage and the Upper Darby Arts Foundation. Asked what a director should do, the applicant said the role is primarily to advocate for students, to liaise with parents and to foster community involvement. "I think a school board director needs to, first and foremost, act as an advocate for the students," the applicant said. The applicant also emphasized keeping substitute and guest teachers welcomed and supported.

The board’s questions for both applicants focused on responsibilities, priorities and decision‑making. The first applicant told members she analyzes pros and cons and "tends not to make decisions spur of the moment," and said she would work to address school violence, improve teacher morale and reduce turnover by strengthening communication with teachers, students and families.

The second applicant, Diamond Gibbs, identified herself as an Upper Darby native and a 2016 alumna of the district. Gibbs said she founded a grassroots initiative called the Only Pipeline that serves justice‑impacted youth across Delaware County and partners with organizations in the Philadelphia region. She told the board she would prioritize school safety on and around campuses, seek partnerships with state and local officials and community organizations to bring resources to schools, and work "boots on the ground" to address teacher retention.

When asked to define "justice‑impacted," Gibbs said she means students who have been suspended, expelled or who have had contact with juvenile or criminal justice systems, and clarified she intends to represent all diverse and marginalized student groups. Gibbs cited after‑school and summer arts programming, sports and extended‑school‑year services for special‑education students as strengths of the district.

Chair closed the interview portion of the meeting and said the board will take up the appointment under new business at its voting meeting later in the evening. A motion to adjourn was made and carried.

The board did not select a candidate during the special meeting; the appointment decision will be recorded at the subsequent voting meeting.