Scoreboards and budgets at U-CF

Posted by Rich Schwartzman on February 13, 2018

A rendering of the proposed scoreboard for the varsity baseball field at Unionville High School.

Unionville High School's varsity baseball and softball fields need new scoreboards, according to Unionville-Chadds Ford School District Supervisor of Buildings and Grounds Rick Hostetler. He told school board directors Monday night that URA — Unionville Recreation Association — is going to foot the bill to the tune of more than $46,000 for the two scoreboards. The district will do the installation, he added.

The new scoreboards will sit where the current boards are located — outside the leftfield fence at the baseball field and outside the centerfield fence for softball. The signs have room for sponsorship ads and the money from the sponsorships will go to the district, he said.

However, board Director Bob Sage questioned the policy on sponsorships, saying the issue has been discussed several times during the past three years but with no definitive resolution.

"How do we bring that to some closure because I think just following the old policy with no successful resolution doesn't make a lot of sense. Status quo might make sense, but I'd like to get the advertising policy revisited soon," Sage said.

Superintendent John Sanville interjected saying he agreed with Sage and that the district would address the issue more fully during the 2018-2019 school year. Following a lengthy discussion, the board decided to accept URA's contribution and then make an official recognition of the association's generosity at the regular board meeting in two weeks.

Other business

In January, directors approved the proposed preliminary budget. On Feb. 12, they took the next step in the budget process by approving the preliminary budget. Appropriations remain the same as in January, $87,982,641.

The preliminary budget also includes a property tax increase. If the current figures remain the same by the time the board votes on the final budget in June, Chester County property owners will see a 1.91 percent increase, from 28.41 mils to 28.95. Their counterparts in Chadds Ford, the only Delaware County municipality in the school district, will see a 3.29 percent increase from 24.7281 to 25.54 mils. (A mil is a tax of $1 on every $1,000 of assessed property value.)

The anticipated vote on the final budget and tax levy is June 18.

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.