District reports Route 1 flooding, announces security upgrades and grant awards; honors Regeneron scholars and retirees

Unionville-Chadds Ford administrators told the board on Feb. 20 about a December 18 flooding event that unexpectedly forced closure of Route 1 at a river level (11.8 feet), well below the historical 13-foot threshold for closure. District staff held debriefs with building and administrative personnel, are coordinating with PennDOT and the conservancy, and scheduled a tabletop exercise in March to rehearse response plans.

Superintendent-level testimony listed grants from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency (PCCD) and other awards: the district reported being awarded more than $316,000 this cycle, with approximately $158,000 used to install exterior door alarms across district buildings (door-open alerts notify administrators by text), about $138,000 allocated for MTSS programming, and nearly $20,000 used to develop threat-assessment protocols. For 2024–25 the district listed a guaranteed PCCD allocation of approximately $193,000, with $45,000 targeted toward safety/security priorities and $148,000 for mental-health staffing; a competitive grant opportunity of up to $450,000 per district was also noted.

Administrators described the door-alarm installations as a direct response to recommendations in national reports on school safety and as an efficient use of PCCD funds. The district said it will present its prioritized list (tier 1, 2, 3) of safety improvements in executive session in March.

In addition to the safety and grant updates, the board recognized two Unionville High School students named 2024 Regeneron Science Talent Search scholars, Arjun Surya and Lily Zhang; each student will receive $2,000 and the high school will receive $4,000 for STEM activities. The board also honored four retirees — Brett Culbertson, Eva (Ava) Thomas, Laurie Tober and Anne Farren — for a combined 109 years of service.

Administration indicated continued coordination with state and county partners on drainage and bridge impacts, and said further updates will follow as studies and grant applications progress.