School Board Monthly Update

January 2023

Thank you for the opportunity to serve the children, families, and taxpayers of the Upper Darby School District. As part of the School Board communication plan, the Board sends monthly updates to the school community. The information included in these briefs is not intended to be complete and does not replace official Board minutes. Official meeting minutes, agendas, reports, and presentations are available at BoardDocs. Also, the Board meetings are live streamed to the District's Official UDSD Board & Board Committee Meetings YouTube Channel. We welcome you to follow the issues the School Board is considering and to attend meetings to stay informed.

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Invitation to Participate in the Special Ed Planning Process

The school district's special education plan is an action plan that describes the school board's commitment to ensure that a quality education will be provided to each of its students with a disability eligible for special education over the upcoming three years. You are invited to participate in the special education planning process.

Click the link to view the November 22nd board meeting presentation:

Upper Darby School District Special Education Plan Update and Timeline

To provide feedback and comments and/or to express interest in joining the process, email us at specialeducationplan@upperdarbysd.org.

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Special Education Nights

Parents/guardians are invited to join these sessions to grow your knowledge base in the area of special education topics. Join the Special Education team for the January 25th Special Education Night featuring the topic "Continuum of Services/Extended School Year." The link for the meetings that will be held virtually will be provided in the Wednesday Folder. We hope to see you at the session!

Click the link for more information:

https://pa02209738.schoolwires.net/cms/lib/PA02209738/Centricity/ModuleInstance/33/Special%20Education%20Info%20Nights%202022-2023.pdf

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Possible Senkow/Aronimink Merger (FAQ)

The District has prepared a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document about the possible closure of Walter M. Senkow and possible merger with Aronimink. This document will be updated periodically.

Possible Sunsetting/Closure of Walter M. Senkow Elementary School FAQs

Also linked below are many of the school district presentations regarding the topic and the December 22nd hearing video.

Facilities Update District Website

September 27, 2022 Public Presentation

November 22, 2022 Public Presentation

December 22, 2023 Hearing Public Presentation

December 22, 2023 Hearing Video

The School Board Directors will continue to take public comment regarding this topic through the end of March. You may send your comments to wmsenkowhearing@upperdarbysd.org.

January Meeting Highlights

Safety and Security Assessment Contract - Approved

The Board approved a contract with Aquila Strategy & Operations Group, LLC to provide a Safety and Security Assessment of all District Schools, within 6 (six) months.

School Board Director Liaison Assignments - Approved at Board Reorganization

Each member also serves as a School Liaison to one or more schools in which their role is to act on behalf of the Board in attending school events and activities as much as possible. At the December Board Reorganization meeting, board members’ school liaison assignments are revisited. You can view the assignments on our website.

Personnel Report - Welcome New District Employees!

The School Board values the teachers, principals, administrators, and support staff who work hard with our students in schools and offices across the district every day. The Personnel Report represents our most valuable asset - our amazing teachers, administrators and staff. We welcome all new staff to the District and continue in our commitment to supporting them in their work.

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS)

We would like to commend and celebrate our schools that have been recognized at the School-wide Pennsylvania Positive Behavior Support (PaPBS) Recognition Ceremony. Schools are recognized at various levels to indicate that they have implemented the steps for a specific tier and reached the percentages designated by the evaluation tools used to measure implementation. Each recognized school received a banner and an award sticker to be displayed in the main areas of the schools. The Director of Pupil Services, Dr. Brian Ursone, who leads this initiative in schools across the District, presented certificates to each school during the Superintendent’s Report. Congratulations to these schools for this amazing achievement! Click HERE to view schools receive their awards.

How to Register to Receive Board Monthly Updates and District Communications

If you know a community member who would like to sign up to receive these updates and other important messages from the District, please click HERE or share this link: https://www.upperdarbysd.org/Page/6798.

Upcoming Board Meetings

The School Board has returned to in-person meetings. Meetings will continue to be livestreamed to the UDSD Board & Board Committee Meetings YouTube Channel. Do you have a question or comment? Click HERE to learn how to participate. Click HERE to view the 2022-2023 meeting schedule. Click HERE to review the agenda 24 hours prior to the meetings.

01/24 6:00 p.m. Committee Meetings

02/14 7:30 p.m. Board Meeting

02/28 6:00 p.m. Committee Meetings

Don't miss out on local events and resources!

The Upper Darby School District electronic Community Bulletin Board (CBB) was developed to keep our families, neighbors and school district stakeholders up to date about community, Township, and County resources and events and other information that may be beneficial to our school district community directly. Click HERE to access the CBB or via the following link: https://www.upperdarbysd.org/communitybulletinboard.

Picture of the 2022-2023 School Board of Directors

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Meet the School Board of Directors

School Board members are your neighbors and are public servants who make decisions that affect all students. Board members are volunteers and have a deep desire to serve children, a strong belief in the value of public education and a deep professional respect for the District staff who serve our children and their families every day. Serving as a School Board Director requires many dedicated hours of service to our community. Click HERE to learn more about how the Board of Directors serves the Upper Darby School District community.

Email: udsdschoolboard@upperdarbysd.org
Website: www.upperdarbysd.org
Location: 8201 Lansdowne Avenue, Upper Darby, PA 19082
Phone: (610) 789-7200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Upper-Darby-School-District-263860013791271/
Twitter: @UpperDarbySD