Upper Darby superintendent says board will vote April 29 on possible Charles Kelly Elementary closure

Dr. Daniel McGary, superintendent of the Upper Darby School District, told the board during the work session that the board will hold a vote on April 29 about whether to close Charles Kelly Elementary at the conclusion of the 2025–26 school year.

McGary said the district is considering a one-year lease extension for Charles Kelly while it finalizes redistricting plans. "If Charles Kelly does close, it will cause redistricting that will impact several schools," McGary said, and he described the proposed reassignment: some students would move to Stonehurst Hills Elementary and Highland Park Elementary, Highland Park students would be redistricted to Hillrest Elementary, and Hillrest students would be redistricted to Aronomic Elementary. He said the board will consider extension of the lease and redistricting logistics before any closure would take effect.

McGary also gave an update on the district budget and state and federal funding. He said the district does not yet know the final outcome of ongoing state funding litigation and related adequacy distributions; the district had anticipated "upwards of an additional $9 million" from the adequacy/fair-funding process but said that amount is not yet finalized. He added that federal Title I, III and IV funding is expected to be level-funded while Title II (professional development) is uncertain. "We do not yet know what the funding will be here for the Upper Darby School District," McGary said.

Nut graf: The April 29 vote would set the district on a path for redistricting and potential building lease decisions that, if approved, would not take effect until the end of the 2025–26 school year. The superintendent emphasized continued public communication and that any closure decision will include follow-up community meetings and planning.

Board process and next steps: McGary asked the public to follow board communications and said the district will continue public conversations about redistricting and budget implications in the weeks leading up to the April 29 vote. No board action to close Charles Kelly was taken at this meeting; the transcript records an announcement of the upcoming vote and discussion of potential effects rather than a formal decision.

Clarifying details from the meeting: McGary described the timing (closure would take place at the conclusion of the 2025–26 school year if approved), the planned redistricting pattern (Stonehurst Hills and Highland Park absorbing some students), and the district’s contingency planning to pause some capital projects if state and federal funding is insufficient. He characterized the $9 million figure as an anticipated, not guaranteed, additional funding from the adequacy litigation outcome.

The board scheduled the formal vote for April 29; the meeting adjourned with no public comments recorded.