Unionville-Chadds Ford School District board meeting, Aug 17, 2026

58 min · 0 public speakers

This board doesn’t post agenda times. Click a board member to jump to where they first speak; we list only members whose voice our check named. Video length 58 min.

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What happened

What happened at this meeting

Unionville-Chadds Ford board approves $2,302,307 for new middle school construction manager 33:59

  • The superintendent presented a first draft of district goals, with board feedback to be gathered over the next month before a vote in September. 0:40
  • A presenter outlined goals and action steps tied to the district's 4 values, including curriculum alignment, educational technology, a human resources review and the financial risk of self-funded health insurance. 2:45
  • The board approved $2,302,307 for a construction manager as an advisor for the new middle school project after Brian Schartz asked whether the board would see the final contract. 33:59

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Item by item (15)
  1. Opening and draft district goals 0:08
    • The superintendent said the district presented a first draft of district goals and would take feedback over the next month before a vote in September. 0:40
    • Steve Simonson asked how often the board might see updates on progress toward the goals, and the speaker answered that most goals would have quarterly or trimester-style updates to board liaisons. 12:41
    • A presenter said several measures of success call for recommendations to the board by June 2027. 13:32
  2. Student representatives report 15:09
    • The student representatives reported on back-to-school events at district schools, including orientations and sneak-peek events. 16:26
    • A student representative said the first day of school is Monday, August 31st. 16:26
  3. Public comment and director comments 19:03
    • No one from the community came forward when public comment was invited. 19:03
    • Brian Schartz, Steve Simonson and Jody Allen welcomed families, students and staff back for the school year. 19:29
  4. Routine business 21:59
    • The board bundled agenda items 3.1 through 3.4 for a single vote. 22:27
    • The items passed 8⁠-⁠0. 22:46
  5. Field trips and extended school year 23:02
    • Erin Talbert moved to approve the field trip list and extended school year, which Erin Talbert said would run June 21st through July 27th at Pocopsin Elementary. 23:02
    • A student representative noted that the field trip list was not attached to the agenda, and Erin Talbert said it would be updated. 24:12
    • The items passed 8⁠-⁠0. 24:39
  6. Virtual academy agreement and curriculum updates 24:43
    • Erin Talbert moved to ratify the 2026⁠-⁠27 BVA annual agreement for the district's virtual academy. 24:43
    • Erin Talbert said 32 students at the high school used the program this past year, plus an additional 23 students enrolled in TCHS who took some BVA content. 25:01
    • Erin Talbert said the curriculum for K-5 science programs would go live this year. 26:00
    • The agreement was approved 8⁠-⁠0. 25:57
  7. Routine business motion and second 27:14
    • A speaker returned to routine business and moved to approve agenda items 3.1 through 3.4, and the motion was seconded. 27:14
    • The items passed 8⁠-⁠0. 27:45
  8. Policy and administrative guideline updates 27:53
    • Jody Allen said Policy 140 on charter schools and Policy 810 on transportation were updated regarding court rulings on charter school transportation. 28:11
    • Jody Allen said the sentence naming a designated Title IX coordinator would be struck from Policy 103.2. 28:48
    • Agenda items 5.1 through 5.3 and 5.5 passed 8⁠-⁠0. 30:52
  9. Student-parent handbooks and second readings 30:55
    • Jody Allen moved to table the student-parent handbooks until next month, saying work was still being done on them. 30:55
    • Jody Allen said Policy 004 on board membership would retain language that in-person attendance is the expectation for board members when it returns for final approval. 31:38
    • The motion to table the handbooks passed 8⁠-⁠0. 31:35
  10. Summer construction change orders 32:57
    • Rashi Akki moved to ratify construction change orders of $57,030 for various 2026 summer projects. 33:01
    • The change orders were approved 8⁠-⁠0. 33:55
  11. Construction manager for new middle school 33:59
    • Rashi Akki moved to approve $2,302,307 for a construction manager as an advisor for the new middle school project, with final approval to the administration pending legal review. 33:59
    • One board member asked whether the board would return to approve the actual agreement and said it felt a little off to approve a contract the board had not seen. 35:07
    • A staff member said approving amounts before signing contracts is standard procedure and that the other side had agreed to 18 of 20 points sent back. 36:45
    • The item passed 8⁠-⁠0. 40:47
  12. Finance report 41:21
    • Brian Schartz said there were no finance voting items and that a proposed change of the insurance program to the Delco Trust is expected as a voting item next month. 41:29
  13. Personnel items and contracts 42:32
    • Steve Simonson moved to approve agenda items 8.1 through 8.7 and agenda item 8.9. 42:37
    • Steve Simonson moved to approve the contracts in agenda item 8.8 and said they were contracts with RTC Security and an interim administrator agreement to provide administrative support at the middle school. 43:30
    • Steve Simonson moved to table agenda item 8.10, an employee agreement addendum. 44:18
    • The motion to table item 8.10 passed 8⁠-⁠0. 44:56
  14. Communications, student activities and safe schools 45:04
    • Susan Elks moved to approve a promotional partnership MOU with the Unionville Community Fair. 45:09
    • Joe Everett said a student activity work session report given last week included results of an athletic survey and a work plan for the 2026⁠-⁠27 school year. 46:41
    • A district staff member said the District Safety Council will hold its first meeting on September 23rd. 47:15
    • The MOU was approved 8⁠-⁠0. 45:39
  15. Intermediate unit and legislative reports 48:32
    • Jody Allen said the district will receive roughly $8,000 more net from the state than in last year's budget allotment. 49:28
    • Jody Allen said all school districts that conduct cyber schools are now required to do the same weekly wellness checks that cyber charter schools must do. 51:38
    • The next regularly scheduled board meeting was announced as a September 14th work session. 56:53

Written by software from the meeting's transcript and checked sentence by sentence against it.

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Video: posted by the district as “UCFSD Board Meeting - August 2026”