Chester Upland School District - Governance

Governance

The school district is governed by 9 individually elected board members who serve four year terms, the Pennsylvania State Board of Education, the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Pennsylvania General Assembly. The federal government controls programs it funds like Title I funding for low income children in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the No Child Left Behind Act which mandates the district focus on reading and math skills.

In 2000, the Chester-Upland School District was declared financially distressed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, resulting in the appointment of a Special Board of Control. On March 8, 2007, Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Gerald Zahorchak issued a Declaration Concerning Reestablishment of Sound Financial Structure in Chester-Upland School District, stating that the Special Board of Control of the Chester-Upland School District had operated the district for a period sufficient to reestablish a sound financial structure, and, notwithstanding the district's many serious and continuing educational performance and other problems, a sound financial structure had been reestablished in the District. As a result of this declaration, the Empowerment Board of Control was replaced by a new three-member Empowerment Board of Control to address the district's poor educational performance while managing its fiscal condition. On June 30, 2010, the Education Empowerment Act expired and the elected board assumed leadership of the district.

In September 2005, Governor Edward Rendell visited the district. He called for an investigation into its management. He also called on the members of the district's Board of Control to resign. In October, Rendell announced his intent to sue the Board of Control charging a failure to improve the district's financial status and a negligence related to making critical curriculum and program changes. Since its appointment in January 2003, the Board of Control had over-spent its approved budgets by more than $19 million. This is a violation of state law.

The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives Sunshine Review gave the school board and district administration a "F" for transparency based on a review of "What information can people find on their school district's website". It examined the school district's website for information such as taxes, budget, meetings, school board members names and terms, contracts, audits and public records information.