Parents urge Unionville‑Chadds Ford to add a fourth section as Chadds Ford third‑grade swells to 79 students

Parents at the March 18 meeting told the Unionville‑Chadds Ford School District board they want immediate steps to reduce class sizes at Chadds Ford Elementary.

Sarah Heather, a parent of a 3rd grader, said the incoming cohort opened with four sections but class consolidation left the current third‑grade cohort concentrated in three sections and now counts 79 enrolled students. Heather said roughly 20% of the class has Individualized Education Programs or behavioral supports and that many of the students started school during COVID, missing in‑person early education.

She asked the district to add a fourth section for the cohort — bringing class size closer to about 20 students per section — to include that section in initial budget drafts and to begin teacher recruitment this school year so a qualified candidate can be hired for the coming year. Multiple parents in the room signed a letter supporting these requests, Heather said.

Martin Sullivan, another community speaker, urged the board to revise policy 126 (the district’s class‑size policy) and to ensure the policy cites relevant Pennsylvania guidance; he also flagged fire‑code and reimbursement implications tied to classroom capacity and facilities. Other speakers (including Jill Lazar) described behavioral and instructional concerns they attribute to the unusually large class size and urged prompt action.

Board members responded that the district will review the concerns, that administrators will follow up with parents, and that policy and budget implications will be examined during upcoming planning and work sessions.

Provenance: Public‑comment exchange and board follow‑up (topicintro SEG 1231; topfinish SEG 1422).

Ending: Parents asked for immediate administrative follow‑up and a working group to evaluate class‑size impacts; the board committed to review the materials and follow up with parents after the meeting.