UPPER DARBY, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — Delaware County’s largest school district is closing down one of its elementary schools. Uncertainty around state and federal funding has played a major part in that decision, which is something other school districts are keeping an eye on.
Upper Darby’s Charles Kelly Elementary School will close its doors for good at the end of the 2025-2026 school year. Its more than 300 students, as well as faculty, will go to one of two other elementary schools in the district.
Upper Darby School Superintendent Daniel McGarry said the closure will save the district money from leasing the school building and help with staff shortages throughout the district — all of which speaks to a bigger issue.
“We anticipate losing federal dollars. Right now in our budget we already cut Title II, which is the professional development budget,” he said, adding more cuts are expected.
“We're hearing that we’re going to lose Title I and possibly Title III and some special education funding, which would be catastrophic. Title I pays for staff and programming for kids in our lowest economically challenged schools.”
McGarry said the district has good cause to worry, as officials have no idea if they’ll get the funding they received last year.
“We have to continue to scale back just to do the best we can, not to cut programs in our school district.”