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Downingtown Area SD superintendent outlines device, homework and extracurricular plans after community sessions
Summary
Superintendent Dr. O'Donnell summarized community feedback, described possible changes to elementary device-home practices and homework guidance, and said the district will consider an administrative regulation on device expectations as it weighs staffing and extracurricular funding amid budget pressure.
Dr. O'Donnell, the Downingtown Area School District superintendent, told the board the district has compiled and attached a summary and individual notes from recent community engagement sessions and will use the feedback to prioritize district initiatives.
The superintendent said technology was the top reason families attended the sessions. He noted the district stopped sending district devices home for kindergarten this school year and is considering extending that policy to first grade for 2026, pending a review of charging capacity and related costs. "We
need to figure out the charging capacity and the cost to do that," he said.
On cell phones, Dr. O'Donnell said Dr. Reed distributed a survey to secondary faculty to better understand how personal phones are used in classrooms. The administration plans to memorialize device expectations in an administrative regulation and referenced an existing personal-device policy (policy 237) as part of that work.
The superintendent also described a draft of updated homework guidelines for elementary grades and said some feedback aligns with changes the district is already considering to help teachers and students.
Addressing extracurriculars and staffing, Dr. O'Donnell emphasized that recent reductions in professional positions were intended to manage costs without cutting programming. He said one music role had been adjusted because capacity within music faculty schedules allowed the district to realign staff without reducing student offerings. "We
are not cutting the programming," he said, adding the district aims to protect student opportunities outside class.
On funding, he said the district's budget is growing but not as quickly as expenditures and described outreach to the district foundation about nontraditional revenue sources, such as stadium advertising, to help sustain extracurriculars.
Board members thanked community participants for respectful engagement. One member asked administration to prepare a brief presentation for families before the next school year explaining which programs are available in-house so parents understand when Intermediate Unit enrollment may not be necessary.
The board did not take a policy vote during the Committee of the Whole session; Dr. O'Donnell said the administration will return details and recommendations for further board consideration.
