It would appear that the Chester Upland School District (CUSD) is finally hitting its stride under the steady guidance and leadership of Receiver Nafis Nichols and Superintendent Dr. Parkinson. The two seem to be of one mind, and that is: What’s best for the children in the Chester Upland School District (CUSD). In a school district that in the past has been ineffective, inefficient, and inflexible, it gives faculty, students, and parents hope students will receive the quality of education they deserve and to which they’re entitled.
In an interview that took place on Tuesday, August 23rd, I posed the following questions to Nichols and Parkinson:
Why does Chester Upland not have the same amenities that surrounding school districts have?
Nichols: Delaware County is a pretty wealthy county in the Commonwealth, and Chester Upland is one of the poorest, if not the poorest school district in the Commonwealth.
Unfortunately, as we try to right so many wrongs, that is the goal of this administration: To ensure that our young people have the same amenities, if not more amenities, as surrounding school districts have, as we leverage and ensure it has resources to do just that. I think our theme and the biggest issue is the financial piece that has plagued Chester Upland for decades. This isn’t something that’s happened over the last year or two; this was happening when I was in Chester Upland School District–the lack of resources.
Again, the primary goal of this current administration is to balance the books and leverage additional resources through partnerships, grants, and other revenue sources so that our students have what their counterparts have in surrounding school districts.
**********
Thank you for reading Lorraine Lavender-Sams’ article on scoopnewsusa.com. For more on “Chester Upland School District’s under new consistent leadership”, please subscribe to SCOOP USA Media. Print subscriptions are $75 and online subscriptions (Print, Digital, and VIZION) are $90. (52 weeks / 1 year).
