Redistricting can be a discomforting word, especially for parents of elementary school children. And that word is hovering over the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District.

The school board, during its Monday, Oct. 13, work session, is expected to vote on retaining the firm of McKissick Associates to conduct a study to assess population growth in the district. In 2011, the board declined to study a possible reconfiguration of elementary schools.

Superintendent of Schools John Sanville stressed that no decision on potential redistricting has been made. “We understand the importance this has for faculty, students and families,” he said. “It’s an emotional issue.”

Sanville told faculty members of Hillendale Elementary School on Oct. 7 that the driving force behind this is the increased school population at Pocopson Elementary School.

Pocopson is at capacity, he said, and if the current trend continues, the district won’t be able to provide the same programs there that are provided at the other three elementary schools.

Repeating that no decisions have been made, Sanville said one possible move would be to shift students from the westernmost portion of Pocopson’s district into that of Unionville Elementary, where there is more room.

According to district documents, which can be found online at http://www.ucfsd.org/redistricting-study-2014-2015.html, the student population at Hillendale and Unionville has declined while Chadds Ford Elementary School’s population has remained steady. Pocopson, though, has increased.

Currently, there are 652 students at Pocopson, 395 at Unionville, 350 at Chadds Ford, and 328 at Hillendale. Pocopson also has 116 first-graders this year, while Unionville has 56, Chadds Ford has 52, and Hillendale has 48.

Sanville said the board can’t predict the future and that’s the reason for hiring McKissick to do the projection study. Assuming the board votes to do that, the results could be available by the winter break, Sanville said. A final board decision could be made at the March 2015 meeting.

The superintendent said the district remains committed to four K-5 elementary schools, with each school providing the same experiences for its students. He also said no decision would be made until all stakeholders are engaged in the study.

Also part of the plan as it moves forward is the understanding that no trailers should be used as classrooms and that there should be a six-year plan so students would not be affected twice by redistricting during their elementary school years.

About Rich Schwartzman

Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.

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