Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board

School board recognizes outgoing members

The Nov. 17 Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board meeting was the last one for three current directors. Mary Kate Loomis, Elise Anderson, and Jeff Hellrung. Hellrung and Anderson will be replaced next month by Susan Still Elks and Joseph Everett, while Loomis will be replaced by Sandra Litvin. The three outgoing members were recognized by their colleagues.

Director Jody Allen spoke about Mary Kate Loomis, saying she went through elementary through high school at U-CF, and she and her father both served on the school board, and she works as a substitute teacher at Chadds Ford Elementary School.

“She brings a unique perspective to her role [as a board member]. As the only one of us working in a school as an educator on a regular basis, she gets to see the daily impact of the decisions we make as a board. This experience helps her ground our decisions, whether about policies or facilities, in the realities of our students and staff’s experiences.”

She is currently working to get her master’s degree and hopes to become a full-time teacher, preferably in the U-CF School District.

School Superintendent Tim Hoffman commented on Loomis, saying, “There are four things that popped into my mind are lights up the room, positive energy, love for the district, and a bottomless handbag of bottled water.

“Mary Kate will be an outstanding teacher in the very near future. I know the students in her class will be eager to see her every day and work just as hard to please her as they do themselves.”

Loomis thanked Allen for his comments, and also thanked her family, and U-CF Board President Victoria Baratta, “who helped me get into this, somehow. I don’t know that I necessarily knew what I was getting into when I went into the write-in campaign, but it was beyond worth it.”

She also thanked Jeff Hellrung, who is also leaving the board, for being her board buddy. “You’ve been everything a board colleague should be.”

Director Rashi Akki made comments about. Elise Anderson saying, “It’s with mixed emotions we bid a fond farewell to a truly exceptional leader…She’s stepping down after a decade of dedicated service as school board director…At the end of 10 years, Elise has been there, a steady hand and a compassionate heart guiding our district,

“Elise has always been the kind of person who brings her whole self to the role. Her formidable intellect paired with an expansive and empathetic heart…She has given a decade of her lifetime and dedication to the very fabric of our community.”

Hoffman also spoke, mentioning that the Pennsylvania School Board Association Honor Roll of School Board Program recognizes directors for every five years of service, and he presented Anderson with her honor roll certificate.

He also said, “There are four things that come to mind: champion, confidant, nature lover, and active listener. Losing someone who’s easy to talk to, who listens to everyone’s perspective, it will be very hard to fill that void.”

He added that Anderson is one of the few people who “gets me geeking out on environmental science on a regular basis. She has always been a champion for me and the students of this district, and one of the few people who gets me in geeking out on environmental science on a regular basis. Thank you so much for your service.”

Anderson said she felt “very overwhelmed. I feel a little sad, but it’s time.”

She added that during her time on the board, she’s had 16 different board colleagues, each of whom brought in “wisdom, patience, steadfast commitment to upholding the academic excellence and fostering new initiatives to build greater intellectual, psychological, and physical skills that our students can carry beyond the 12th grade. All, while balancing the needs of our greater community for fiscally responsible and transparent budgeting.”

Making comments about Jeff Hellrung was Director Erin Talbert, who said Hellrung’s impact on the board was “immeasurable.”

“Jeff’s contributions stretch across decades, but for many of us, they are also deeply personal. Jeff is truly a learning machine. His path from the Naval Academy to fighter pilot to classroom teacher and 20 years on this board gives him the rare ability to see every issue from all angles. But what has always stood out for me is that Jeff never relied on past experience alone. He is endlessly curious. Whether exploring best practices for student wellness or thoughtfully studying district operations or advocating for citizens, Jeff’s decisions have always been grounded in evidence, and in openness to learning.”

She noted Hellrung’s long-standing advocacy for later start times for high school students.

“Your greatest legacy is how you have shaped people. You have given generously of your wisdom, your time, your example, and your heart. On behalf of the board and personally, thank you for your leadership, your mentorship, and your unwavering commitment to the students of this district and our community.”

Hoffman also spoke of the PSBA Honor Roll Award with respect to Hellrung, who has served on the board for 20 years.

He said the four things that come to mind when he thinks of Hellrung are captain, role model, always a fan, and how can I help. I can’t put into words what you’ve meant to me, and how you’ve shown me how to be a leader.”

Hellrung said his time on the board has been a “labor of love. And I just want to say, as many kind things as you said about what I’ve done, I’ve received much more than I’ve given over these 20 years.

“When I was in high school, the president was John F. Kennedy. He once gave a speech when he said, ‘If you’re ever asked what did you accomplish in your life,’ Kennedy said, ‘I served in the United States Navy.’ And I can say, not only did I serve in the United States Navy, I served the children in the community of the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District.”

Other business

• The board voted unanimously to approve replacing the existing 15-year-old Unionville High School stadium safety netting. The existing netting has become frayed and brittle and has been patched in multiple places. This replacement is just for the netting, cables, and attachment hardware. The total cost is $16,182 from Aluminum Athletic Equipment Co. and will be funded by the Long-Range Facilities Plan.

• Early in the meeting, Hoffman said the board will hear the costs involved for a new middle school in January.

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Flores DeWilde stresses skill set, unique background

Local News

Leticia Flores DeWilde thinks she brings a number of assets to the table in her bid for school board director. She is currently serving on the Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board representing Region C as the interim replacement for Frank Murphy, who stepped down in June, and is running for the seat in her own name. She is facing Carolyn Daniels in the Nov. 5 election.

“I think I bring some really good qualities and qualifications to the position,” Flores DeWilde said.

She stayed home with her children, but when Murphy announced in the spring that he’d be leaving the board, it was at a time when she was looking ahead to the fall when her youngest would be starting school fulltime.

“I was thinking, what’s my next move and I thought this was a good fit for me,” the 41-year-old Pennsbury Township resident said.

She previously worked as an attorney and policy analyst and thought that background would be a benefit to the board.

“A lot of the documents that we review, contracts, policy documents and financial statements are all documents that I’m used to reviewing,” she said. “It’s useful to have that kind of skill set.

Flores DeWilde said she would be the only person on the board with elementary school-aged children and thinks that provides a unique perspective. However, it’s her status as a naturalized U.S. citizen — she and her family emigrated from Mexico when she was 6 years old — that she thinks is key.

“I came with my family as a young child. My father was a factory worker, he worked nights and my mom did garment work in the garage. For us, education was very important. I learned early on that I needed to do really well in school and work very hard. I value public education very much and that part of me is why I feel very strongly that I want to give back to my community now,” Flores DeWilde said.

She added that it was primarily her father who emphasized that education was the key to success.

As for goals she would like to achieve if elected, she said there needs to be an examination of the district’s homework policy. Homework needs to be relevant, age-appropriate and allow “kids to be kids.”

Parents are telling her that students in the middle and high schools have too much homework and that there’s only so much time to be allotted to homework and extra-curricular activities.

“In the end, we need to have a balance. We really need to have them be kids,” she said. “I really don’t know if we have too much homework in the district. The reason we’re looking at this is because we are getting concerns from parents…There might not be a reason to get that much.”

She is also interested in teacher evaluations.

“Research shows that teachers are the most important in-school element for children to learn. If we have quality teachers, the kids are more likely to learn what they need to learn,” she said.

Flores DeWilde also would like to see U-CF work more closely with the Kennett Consolidated School District. The district has instituted some areas where the two work together, but she simply wants to see that expanded.

“There are a lot of opportunities there. Especially for me, as a Mexican immigrant, I think a closer relationship with Kennett would be a good idea. Not only would it create opportunity for both districts, it would create a sense of community,” she said.

At the close of the interview, Flores DeWilde said that the voters in Region C — in Chadds Ford and Pennsbury townships — should simply vote for the “best qualified candidate that brings the skill set and qualities necessary to make sound and fair decisions.”

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Daniels says it’s about experience

Local News

Carolyn Daniels, one of the candidates for Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board from Region C, thinks experience in the district is the key to properly representing constituents.

She said her 20 years of living in Chadds Ford Township — which, along with Pennsbury Township makes up the region — along with having four children go through district schools and the fact that she’s been involved in school affairs for years sets her apart from her opponent.

Daniels, 52, is challenging Leticia Flores DeWilde in the Nov. 5 election.

“I have four different children, four children who successfully went through our elementary school, our middle school, our high school, four different learners, equally successful. I would like to see everyone in our district have the same opportunity that we had,” she said.

Her reasons for running include the fact that her children wanted her to, but also because she thinks she represents something useful for the school board at this time.

“As a 20-year resident, a 20-year taxpayer, an active school participant and community member, I feel I bring a voice to not only our region, but to all of the community…In my time in the district, I have seen six principals, three superintendents, two renovations and one redistricting. I feel it is critical to bring this experience to the board because it is looking very likely we will see many again,” she said.

She added that her experience, coupled with experiences from other members of the community, good decisions would be possible “that all of us will feel we have a say in, all of us will feel comfortable.”

Daniels did not specify anything particular that she thinks the board has failed to do or anything it has done that she thinks is wrong. She said that she would have more access to the facts and conversations if she were on the board, and that she would make sure there were open, honest and direct relationships.

“That is what I will be bringing to the board,” she said, “complete transparency. The people have a right to know what’s going on. The board has a right to know what the people want. I see my role as a director as a representative.”

She acknowledged that her opponent has an “outstanding” education and work background, but “I’m not 100 percent sure what contributions she’s made to the community.”

What sets Daniels apart, she said, is her level of involvement in the community and that while she agrees with her opponent that research is important, “Research combined with the community’s perspectives, ideas, feelings and opinions makes a critical difference. And certainly, being involved in the community, involved in the school, I feel that I can represent all of our community, not just a small segment.”

Getting in matters of schoolwork, Daniels said there needs to more study of curriculum changes. She specifically mentioned math curriculum that she’s seen change several times as her four children have gone through district schools.

”My level of involvement, knowing the community because I’m a part of the community a long time and going through each of the schools, I think I’m in a very good position to know how each step enables you to be better prepared for what comes after,” Daniels said.

She added that while trying new things is good, the board should never lose sight of its primary objective of providing the best possible education.

Daniels said she wants complete transparency on the board with open, honest and direct communication between members and residents. She also wants to be accessible to the community so people feel they count and have a say in what matters most to them.

She considers herself to be an independent thinker and a consensus builder.

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Manzone updates reasons for early resignation

School & Education

For Holly Manzone, the decision to resign from the school board was about making a statement and it reflected frustration over her inability to get straight answers to nagging questions.

She said she met a brick wall trying to resolve one specific issue.

“I have tried for two-and-a-half years to correct this in the system. I feel [the board and the administration] forced me to do it this way,” she said.

Manzone said she specifically wants to know the following: What happened between the time the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District superintendent wrote to an out of district family saying their children could not attend district schools, to a letter a month later when he wrote to them saying the kids could go to school if they slept at another property the family owned within the district?

“How did we get from ‘you’re not residents’ to accepting residency?” she said rhetorically. “I was elected to represent the residents of the district. I couldn’t do that without information.”

She said she never received an answer, even after conducting her own surveillance of the family in question.

According to state law, children are considered to be residents of the school district in which they live with a parent or guardian, but Manzone said this is not the case in this matter.

She laid out a timeline of events, in papers presented to school board members during the special meeting held to vote on her resignation. She said she first became aware of the situation in the spring of 2011 and did speak with Superintendent John Sanville about the matter.

According to Manzone, the district hired a firm in September 2011 to investigate and it was determined a month later that the family lived outside the district.

She continued her timeline saying that the district’s solicitor, in early 2012, asked for an update. The firm conducted 14 more surveillances and came up with the same conclusion — that the family lived elsewhere.

In May of 2012, she said, Sanville wrote to the family informing them that they were not district residents, could not send the children to district schools and would have to pay tuition for the time the kids had attended U-CF schools.

During a June 2012 meeting, the family said a previous superintendent had told them that they only had to show tax records as proof of residency. Later that month, according to Manzone, Sanville sent another letter to the family affirming their non-resident status, but explained how to contest that ruling in a formal hearing.

In mid July, she continued, the family asked to know specific requirements for residency and that, later in the month, Sanville again wrote to the family and again asserted that they lived outside the district.

In August 2012, the family met with Sanville and two staff members and said they agreed to “follow the rules.” Later that month the family enrolled the children in the district.

According to Manzone’s documentation, Sanville sent another letter to memorialize the discussion of that August meeting: “the district’s position is that, if the children are sleeping at the [in-district property] the majority of the time — at least four days per week — then they will be considered residents of the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District,” and that the matter of tuition would be put aside.

Also in August, Manzone said, Sanville sent out a “Fabulous Friday Memo” that said the matter was closed.

Manzone said that was the last she heard of the matter, but became suspicious when she would drive by the in-district property and saw no evidence of it being used as a residence.

She then decided to conduct her own surveillance in August of 2013. She said that on Aug. 26, she watched the out of district residence and “followed the family driving to UCFSD schools and dropping off children.”

Manzone said she tried to do the same thing the following day, but this time the she was seen and the father tailgated her. She drove to a nearby state police barracks and the father approached her. She said she questioned his residency in the Unionville district and that he replied, ‘You don’t know my situation — I have a deal with John Sanville.”

On Sept. 2, Sanville e-mailed board members saying there was no deal and asked for an executive session that would address, at least in part, Manzone’s actions, she said.

According to state code 24 P.S. §13-1301, 13-1302, “Every school age child is entitled to attend the public schools of the child’s district of residence, which is the school district where the child’s parent(s) or legal guardian resides…When parents reside in different school districts due to separation, divorce, or other reason, the child may attend school in the district of the parent with whom the child lives for a majority of the time…”

Manzone continues to question the family’s residency, wants to know what transpired that led to the acceptance letter and that she has been held in disregard by board members since her contact with the father.

She said she’s repeatedly asked for three surveillance reports, but that she has been stonewalled and excluded from decisions.

An executive session was held to discuss her “inappropriate actions,” but that the board took no action against her, she said, and that requests to see surveillance reports were denied. She added that some board members did not want her — or other board members — to see the documents she was requesting.

Accordingly, her papers said, she was told that “the consensus, while not unanimous,” of the board was that she should not be allowed to see the documents.

Manzone resigned from the board on Oct. 21, one month before the end of her four-year term. She said the residency issue along with other improprieties such as misuse of executive session led to her leaving. Her formal letter of resignation can be found at the bottom of a story found here.

To read the board’s reaction to Manzone’s resignation, go here.

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Surprise resignation from school board

School & Education

Charging a host of improprieties by the Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board, Director Holly Manzone, whose term on the board was to end in November, unexpectedly resigned her position during the board’s Oct. 21 meeting. She read a brief statement, handed in a resignation letter and left the Unionville Elementary School auditorium where the meeting was taking place.

She began her speech by saying that while members of a school board are elected locally, they are “actually agents of the state legislature and are charged with acting in the best interest of all pupils and all citizens.”

Then the tone changed.

“The ability of the school board to govern effectively relies on communication,” she said. “Our board has eliminated most committee meetings and much of the discussion prior to votes takes place in private conversations among board members. Information is not shared with the public or among all members of this board. Without adequate information, I cannot perform the job that I was elected to do. I therefore resign from the school board effective immediately.”

Manzone spoke briefly with reporters in the hallway outside the auditorium saying she had made the decision to resign only a week earlier.

She said she’s enjoyed serving on the board, but “These are issues I think we’ve all known about. It’s pretty much outlined in this letter. I hate to hurt the students or anybody else. I don’t mean harm for anyone, but I had to make a statement.”

The letter she referred to is her official letter of resignation, which is published at the end of this article.

In the letter, Manzone, who was a representative from Region B, alleges the board frowns upon dissent, that meetings are orchestrated and that topics for executive sessions are engineered so that the board appears to comply with the law while violating its spirit.

She also said community members who raise issues are often considered to be problems, that access to important data is withheld and that some information is not shared equally.

Reaction from other board members was of surprise and denial.

Vic Dupuis said Manzone decided to “make a grand exit,” while Jeff Hellrung said Manzone’s allegations were simply not so.

“The board is extremely conscientious about honoring right to know,” Hellrung said, and it’s been “scrupulously careful” to avoid violations. He said that the board makes sure that there are never more than four members attending even a PTO meeting.

In a word, he said, he was “flabbergasted” by the accusation and that for the board to work, members “have to work as a team even if your idea doesn’t prevail.”

Kathy Do said she was disappointed, but hoped that Manzone would still have a positive legacy.

Do agreed with Hellrung, saying she has not seen any behind closed door activity.

Board President Eileen Bushelow said she was as surprised as everyone else. The board will officially accept the resignation during the November meeting, she said.

Manzone’s letter

October 21, 2013

To: Members of the Board of School Directors, UCFSD
John Sanville, Superintendent, UCFSD
Bob Cochran, Secretary, Board of School Directors, UCFSD

It is with regret that I hereby resign from the Board of School Directors of the Unionville-Chadds Ford school district, effective immediately.

As a member of the School Board, I have viewed my role as representing the interests of the constituents who elected me as well as the students of our district. I do not think School Board members should simply rubber-stamp the decisions of the School Administration, but rather should critically examine our district’s policies, practices, and results to identify issues and potential improvements. While I believe UCFSD is an excellent school district, there is clearly room for improvement. In my view, the best way to effect that improvement is to have open and honest discussion, based on facts and data that are unfiltered by administrators or others who wish to influence outcomes of decisions, audits, and performance reviews.

Over the past several months, this kind of discussion has become increasingly difficult and I no longer believe it is possible for me to discharge my duties responsibly and effectively. The administration and Board have become more concerned with looking good than with confronting real issues that need to be addressed. In particular:

• Open discussion is frowned upon and dissent is squelched at both the public and executive session meetings.

• Meetings, especially public meetings, are often orchestrated, with many “premeetings” and phone calls behind the scenes to prevent genuine public discussion of contentious issues and avoid any embarrassment to the administration or the Board, i.e., “no dirty laundry.”

• Executive sessions are over-used. If there is a way to characterize a topic so that it can be discussed privately in executive session, it is. Engineering topics in this way may allow the district to comply with the letter of the Sunshine Law, but it surely violates its spirit.

• Community members raising issues are often themselves considered the problem. Energy is expended complaining about these individuals rather than focusing on improvement.

• Access to underlying data and original documents is withheld, even if it is not confidential. “Confidentiality” is used as an excuse to withhold access to broad categories of data, without foundation.

• Information is shared unequally, with not all Board members receiving the same background for deliberations. Also, private “votes” are held without canvassing all members.

We have become a model of poor governance. I share the feelings of some Penn State Board members quoted in the Freeh report: issues are filtered, Board members are shown only “rainbows” and not “rusty nails,” and meetings are scripted, with decisions “baked.” I can no longer continue to participate on the Board on this basis without violating my principles and disturbing my conscience. I cannot allow my continued presence on the Board to connote agreement with these practices.

The final straw for me has been a recent situation in which the district administration failed to adequately investigate and pursue a clear violation of our residency requirements, confirmed by investigative reports. Rather than aggressively defend the interests of the district and our taxpayers, the administration dragged their feet for more than two years and ultimately struck a “deal” with the parties—without discussing their actions or the terms of the “deal” with the Board. The Board learned of the deal and its

terms only a year after it was struck. The “deal” includes forgoing back tuition payments for the period of non-residency and a pledge not to question district residency in the future. When I asked for the reports underlying this course of action, I was told I could not see them. While this particular instance may be a “done deal,” the refusal to examine it means there is no hope of improvement or change in the future. It is not possible for me to represent the interests of our citizens under these conditions.

It has been my privilege to serve our district for the past four years. I hope that by calling attention to the practices and behaviors outlined above, UCFSD can make the changes in governance that are badly needed to realize the full potential of our students and educators and to become an example of good citizenship for our children.

Sincerely yours,
Holly Manzone
School Director
UCFSD Region B

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Murphy leaving school board

Local News

Frank Murphy, one of the three Unionville-Chadds Ford School District directors from Region C, is leaving the board effective June 17. His departure coincides with his running for Chadds Ford Township supervisor.

He announced his resignation during the April 15 meeting and said later that he will not be voting on the budget for the next school year. The budget vote is the night of June 17, but his last meeting would be the work session the week before, he said.

According to Murphy, he accomplished what he intended to do when he first ran for the school board.

“When I ran for the board originally, it was because I was concerned about the high school renovation project and the financial decisions. The project is finished and under budget. There are no problems,” he said. “I only played a small part, but I completed what I wanted to do. I think it’s a good time to step aside.”

By stepping down in June, the board can interview candidates for a temporary appointment, he said, adding that leaving in June would be in the best interest of the board.

Murphy first got on the board in a special election to replace Ed Wandersee, who moved out of the district. He then ran again two years ago for a regular term.

He is running unopposed in the May primary to be the Republican Party candidate for Chadds Ford Township supervisor. He already planned to leave the board before the current term expired if he won the general election in November.

(He will likely be facing Rhona Klein in the general election. Klein is running unopposed in the Democratic Party primary.)

Murphy is a former township commissioner from Aston and said he’s always been interested in land development issues.

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School board to spend some, save some

Local News

The Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board voted to spend money on a new entrance for the high school football stadium, but also to refinance some outstanding debt to save money in the long run.

In a 7-1 vote, the board decided to spend $35,000 to build a new ticket booth and relocate the stadium entrance as part of the board’s long range plan.

School Board Director Holly Manzone voted against the measure, calling it a “want, not a need.”

Board President Eileen Bushelow said she was not in favor of spending the money now, but was voting for the idea while relying on selling naming rights to the stadium.

Bruce Yeltin, of Pocopson Township, spoke out against spending the money early in the Sept. 18 meeting, saying the new stadium entrance won’t improve education and that it would fail if placed on a referendum.

While the board voted to spend on the stadium, it also voted to save some money — $100,000 — by refinancing $4.5 million of existing debt at a lower interest. The board will issue General Obligation Bonds in an amount not to exceed $6.72 million.

Other business

• U-CF and the Kennett Consolidated School Board will be teaming up for a joint Community Conversation on bullying from 6-7:30 p.m. on Oct. 29 at the Unionville High School cafeteria, according to School Board Director Kathy Do.

She also announced a free showing on the movie “Bully” at the AMC Theater in Painters Crossing on Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. Do said space is limited, so those interested in seeing the film then should RSVP at www.ucfsd.org/bullymovie

The district will also be sending out flyers and information via e-mail.

• The next work session for the school board will be 6:30 p.m., Oct. 15. It will be preceded by a Curriculum and Educational Technology Committee meeting at 5 p.m.

The next regular board meeting will be 7:30 p.m., Oct. 22 in the Unionville Elementary School auditorium.

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