Chester Upland School District
Encyclopedia
The Chester Upland School District is a public school district
serving the City of Chester
, the Borough of Upland
and Chester Township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania
. The district operates one High School, two Middle Schools and five Elementary Schools, serving 5019 students.
company, Edison Schools
, was hired to try to improve the struggling district's test scores. After a number of years it was determined that Edison was not successful in turning the district around. A number of incidents, including an allegation of sexual misconduct on the part of an Edison employee, and policies such as not allowing students to bring home books, led to the state's decision to break its contract with Edison.
The district has regained local public control, but remains one of the lowest performing in Pennsylvania. 72% of district students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches, as compared to the state average of 33%. In recent years it has opened a number of selective-admission magnet school
s.
federal grant. The district is identified as a turnaround district due to chronically poor academic achievement of its students. When approved for the grant, the district will receive millions of additional federal dollars for improving student academic achievement. Turnaround status also brings an extra $700 per student, in supplemental funding above the basic grant amount.
School district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
serving the City of Chester
Chester, Pennsylvania
Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a population of 33,972 at the 2010 census. Chester is situated on the Delaware River, between the cities of Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware.- History :...
, the Borough of Upland
Upland, Pennsylvania
Upland is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Upland is governed by an elected seven member borough council. The population was 2,977 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Upland is located at ....
and Chester Township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Delaware County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 558,979, making it Pennsylvania's fifth most populous county, behind Philadelphia, Allegheny, Montgomery, and Bucks counties....
. The district operates one High School, two Middle Schools and five Elementary Schools, serving 5019 students.
Recent history
In 1994, Chester Upland was named by the state as the worst-performing school district in Pennsylvania. The district had a multimillion dollar deficit and its decision-making ability was taken over by the state. A for-profitProfit (economics)
In economics, the term profit has two related but distinct meanings. Normal profit represents the total opportunity costs of a venture to an entrepreneur or investor, whilst economic profit In economics, the term profit has two related but distinct meanings. Normal profit represents the total...
company, Edison Schools
Edison Schools
EdisonLearning Inc., formerly known as Edison Schools Inc., is a for-profit education management organization for public schools in the United States and the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1992 as The Edison Project, largely the brainchild of Chris Whittle...
, was hired to try to improve the struggling district's test scores. After a number of years it was determined that Edison was not successful in turning the district around. A number of incidents, including an allegation of sexual misconduct on the part of an Edison employee, and policies such as not allowing students to bring home books, led to the state's decision to break its contract with Edison.
The district has regained local public control, but remains one of the lowest performing in Pennsylvania. 72% of district students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches, as compared to the state average of 33%. In recent years it has opened a number of selective-admission magnet school
Magnet school
In education in the United States, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities as school zones that feed into certain schools.There are magnet schools at the...
s.
High schools
- Chester High School (ChesterChester, PennsylvaniaChester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a population of 33,972 at the 2010 census. Chester is situated on the Delaware River, between the cities of Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware.- History :...
) - Science and Discovery High School (Chester)
- Smedley Allied Health School (Chester)
Primary schools
- Christopher Columbus Elementary School (Chester)
- Main Street Elementary School (UplandUpland, PennsylvaniaUpland is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Upland is governed by an elected seven member borough council. The population was 2,977 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Upland is located at ....
) - Margaret C. Stetser Elementary School (Chester)
- The Village (Chester)
- Toby Farms Elementary School (Chester TownshipChester Township, PennsylvaniaChester Township is a township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,604 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Chester Township is located at ....
) - Chester Upland School for the Arts (opened in 2008, plans to become a K-8 school)
Turnaround School District
School district officials applied for the Race to the TopRace to the Top
Race to the Top, abbreviated R2T, RTTT or RTT, is a $4.35 billion United States Department of Education competition designed to spur innovation and reforms in state and local district K-12 education...
federal grant. The district is identified as a turnaround district due to chronically poor academic achievement of its students. When approved for the grant, the district will receive millions of additional federal dollars for improving student academic achievement. Turnaround status also brings an extra $700 per student, in supplemental funding above the basic grant amount.