UCF board takes look at reserve funds structure

10-year capital plan gets update, review By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times EAST MARLBOROUGH — The question of whether the Unionville-Chadds Ford needs to keep a dedicated a reserve fund to cover anticipated pension costs was the top point of discussion during Monday night’s Work Session of the Board of Education. Currently, the district is carrying about $2.5 million in its pension reserve fund...

‘Brexit’ could mean bond savings for UCF

Refi plan for UHS bonds could net $450K annually By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times EAST MARLBOROUGH — While the pending departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union may be sewing chaos in world financial markets, it appears that the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District may be able to benefit from “Brexit” by refinancing the bonds that paid for the renovation of Unionville High School. Although...

Letter: When will Rep. Lewis pay for the budget?

To The Editor, Monday, Governor Tom Wolf announced that he would allow the bipartisan, compromise budget to become law without his signature by midnight that night unless he had an honest package with sustainable, recurring, and sufficient revenue to sign before that time. That did not happen. The General Assembly has a constitutional responsibility to pass a sustainable revenue package to pay for...

UCF board opts to pull funds from reserve, cut tax hike to 2.66%

Lindner said colleagues are ‘kicking the can down the road’ By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times EAST MARLBOROUGH — Apparently, appearances matter. At the end of the day, it seemed that the optics of having a tax increase higher than 3% in Delaware County outstripped concerns over long-term finances and the state of the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District’s balance reserve, as the...

UCF tax hike may drop to 2.66%

Board hires new Vice Principal for Patton Middle School By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times New Charles F. Patton Middle School Vice Principal Devin Layton addresses the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District Board of Education just moments before the board voted unanimously to hire her for the post, Monday night. EAST MARLBOROUGH — If, as they say, the devil in the details, the Unionville-Chadds Ford...

KCSD passes final 2016-17 budget

Taxes to increase by 2.23% under $81.7M spending plan By Kelly O’Hara, Correspondent, The Times Bancroft Elementary School Principal Leah McComsey presents 12 students with certificates honoring them for winning a national online poetry contest, during Monday night’s Kennett Consolidated School District Board of Education meeting. KENNETT SQUARE —The Kennett Consolidated School District...

CASD announces new pact with custodial, food workers

CALN — The Coatesville Area School District Board of Education ratified a new two-year deal for its custodial, maintenance and food service workers Tuesday night, a new pact that means custodial workers’ jobs will not be outsourced. The new deal between the district and the Coatesville Area Federation of Educational Employees (CAFEE) ends more than a year of talks between the board and its staff,...

UCF looks at cuts to proposed tax hike

Discussion focused on whether to maintain or spend reserves By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times Pocopson Elementary School Principal Clif Beaver offers congratulations to retiring teacher Dennis Nelms during Monday night’s Board of Education meeting. POCOPSON — It appears that the final tax increase for the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District will drop some from its initial estimate, after...

UCF moves forward with 2.88% budget plan

No residents attend two-hour hearing; pensions biggest growth area By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times EAST MARLBOROUGH — It appears that Dancing With The Stars is a lot more popular than Budgets with The Board. No residents attended Monday night’s Unionville-Chadds Ford Board of Education budget hearing (technically, this reporter is a resident and did attend as the lone media representative on...

CASD eyes 2.1% tax hike, deal with CCIU for Gordon

Proposed increase in line with Act 1 limits By Lauren Parker- Gill, News Editor, The Times Editor’s Note: Due to subsequent information, the tax increase rate, which was shown as 3.1% in some preliminary materials, was changed in the story to reflect the more accurate 2.1%. We apologize for the confusion. CALN – As a final proposed budget was approved to be displayed and advertised to the...