CCIU briefed Unionville‑Chadds Ford board on budgets and two special‑education campuses; no increase in core contribution

Chester County Intermediate Unit officials presented a preliminary fiscal picture to the Unionville‑Chadds Ford School Board on March 11, saying the district’s core contribution to the IU would not increase next year while several IU program areas expand.

Dr. Fiore, representing the IU, told the board the IU’s total operations include a substantial marketplace services component and that the IU has secured roughly $133,000,000 in categorical grants that fund many programs. “There’s no increase in the proposed core budget contribution for Unionville,” he said, and described marketplace services as the largest portion of the IU’s budget.

The IU outlined two near‑term facility moves to increase capacity for students with complex needs: purchase of a Great Valley site off Route 202 on Moores Road to create a second Child and Career Development Center with capacity to serve about 187 additional children (purchase expected to finalize in April, occupancy targeted July 2026), and renovation of Fred S. Engle Middle School in Avon Grove to add roughly 160 placements for regional students. Presenters said those expansions respond to long bus rides and regional wait lists for specialized services.

Mitch Lubitzky, who walked trustees through line‑item impacts, said the IU’s core budget next year is projected around $38.7 million (roughly a $2.9 million increase overall across IU core operations) while the occupational education budget is proposed at about $33.2 million (approximately a 5% increase). He gave a projected tuition rate for next year for a half‑time student at $10,758, a roughly 4% increase.

Board members asked how stable grant revenue is; presenters cautioned many grants are multi‑year (often two to three years) and that some—especially one‑time pandemic dollars such as ESSER—are phasing out. The IU said it pursues grants aggressively to diversify revenue but that staff linked to grant programs may leave if specific grants end.

The IU emphasized enrollment modeling behind the new facilities, saying heat‑map analyses and placement counts across sending districts informed the planning but cannot guarantee families’ choices through the IEP process. Trustees pressed for more details on projected enrollment mix and risk if grant or enrollment assumptions change.

Next steps: the IU materials will accompany upcoming budget votes required of district boards over the spring, and specific purchases and facility approvals will return to boards as discrete action items.