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Wallingford-Swarthmore School District board meeting, Aug 24, 2026

47 min

AI in schools ▶ 20:43

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 47 min.

  1. Who spoke · first speaks at
What happened

What happened at this meeting

Wallingford-Swarthmore board approves finance items, including capital plan amendment, 9 to 0 40:27

  • The superintendent presented four priorities for the upcoming school year that the superintendent said were based on the district's strategic plan. 14:08
  • The superintendent said a motion on the agenda would alter the capital plan from $164 million to $132 million for the next 10 years. 24:21
  • The board approved a group of 14 finance and facilities items, including a resolution to amend the 10-year capital plan, by a 9 to 0 vote. 40:10
Item by item (9)
  1. Opening and roll call 7:35
    • The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and a roll call, with 9 voting members reported present. 7:41
  2. Superintendent's report 8:26
    • The superintendent said students return next Monday the 31st and cited 471 students in athletics and 350+ in the band. 8:35
    • The superintendent said the district projected using $3.57 million of its unassigned fund balance, or 31%, if it did not address structural fiscal issues. 22:19
    • The superintendent said architects would return on September 15th to present updated design plans for the high school. 23:30
  3. Board announcements 29:24
    • The presiding officer announced a change in committee assignments for the Finance and Facilities Committee. 29:24
  4. Public comment on agenda items 29:51
    • A speaker at public comment asked about the district's policies this year on AI and technology. 31:29
    • The presiding officer said the board would not respond during the meeting but could follow up afterward. 31:38
  5. Approval of minutes 31:53
    • The board considered the minutes from the June 15th, 2026 regular board meeting. 31:53
    • The motion passed 9 to 0. 32:35
  6. Board liaison reports 32:36
    • Mary Jo Witkowski-Smith said the Pennsylvania School Board Association recognized two board members for completing 5 years of board service and recommended its episode on artificial intelligence in education. 32:52
    • Rachel Holbert said the Delaware County Intermediate Unit board continues its executive director search and its Marple Education Center will hold a ribbon cutting on September 9th. 35:51
  7. Personnel items 37:21
    • The board considered 8 personnel items, including separations, appointments and fall athletic supplementals, and a list of 16 employees eligible for tenure was presented for information. 37:21
    • The motion passed 9 to 0. 38:57
  8. Student services agreements 39:00
    • The board considered educational service agreements with several providers. 39:00
    • The motion passed 9 to 0. 40:09
  9. Finance and facilities items 40:10
    • Christine Dollé asked about the Republic Services agreement and a districtwide recycling program, and a staff member said the contract covers trash and recycling and sorting remains a work in progress. 41:39
    • Christine Dollé asked whether the capital plan change trimmed warm, safe and dry projects. 42:35
    • A staff member said the district can remove the modulars and update all building systems for between $60 and $70 million, and that inflation continues to raise costs. 44:18
    • The motion passed 9 to 0. 46:42

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 “WSSD School Board Meeting 8/24/2026”