Upper Darby School District is in desperate need of expansion. Republicans & democrats alike ignored a overcrowding issue for more than 2 decades. Now that the district is finally trying to renovate and expand the district they are met with a fight at every turn. Everyone wants better schools, bigger schools, more schools but no one wants to bend. There is a not in my back yard stance. There are multiple expansion projects delayed because of litigation.

The Upper Darby School District has plans for a 3rd middle school on the Clifton Heights Athletic Field however, Clifton Heights doesn't want it and doesn't want to give up the field. The issue here is that the field is owned by the district and has been for decades, since 1977 when the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania stepped in and merged schools all over the place. Clifton Heights Borough leases this property for $1 a year and has been fighting this project and some of their leaders have even refused to sit down with the district because they're simply not interested. Instead they want the district to purchase abandoned property somewhere else to build the new school on rather than utilizing property already owned by the district. The proprosed school will cost about $60,000,000. To add the burden of purchasing additional property to build the proposed school could amount to several million more. 

The residents of Clifton Heights do have some valid concerns. They are concerned about the loss of fields and green space that they have utilized for more than 40 years. They are concerned about traffic and related issues. These are some of several concerns they have. Upper Darby School District has promised not only to preserve as much green space as possible but has also promised to provide brand new athletic fields that the residents of Clifton Heights Borough will have open access to when school is not in session as well as the added use of the gymnasium which they currently do not have. Suggestions have also been made to include other new things on the field such as a playground and a memorial of sorts that would show the history of Clifton Heights Borough and the Clifton Heights Athletic Fields. The district will also be putting in a new school zone and has promised to do what is required or necessary to address traffic issues. Despite all of this the borough has not budged on their position. To top it off the school district has continued to allow the borough use of the field and continues to approve their permits for use while the borough continues to fight.

The fight over these fields doesn't just effect the residents of Clifton Heights Borough. It affects the residents of Millbourne Borough and Upper Darby Township, the entire Upper Darby School District. All schools in the district are dilapidated and overcrowded with the exception of Aronimink Elementary School and Upper Darby High School. That means both current middle schools are above capacity. The addition of Clifton Heights Middle School would ease the overcrowding in Beverly Hills Middle School on Garrett Rd and Drexel Hill Middle School on State Rd, both of which are near the center of Upper Darby Township with Upper Darby High School between them. It would also create less of a need for middle school students to be bused which will also help the district with funding. Additionally it would make sense logistically to have a middle school nearing the southwest corner of the school district. While it would cause an increase in traffic to the area it would also help relieve traffic along the Lansdowne Ave corridor between the 2 current middle schools. More importantly it creates smaller class sizes which provides a better educational experience for all middle school students. 

This project has been tied up in litigation for more than a year at the expense of all the taxpayers of the district as well as at the expense of our children's education. While the residents of Clifton Heights should absolutely have a voice the residents of all of Upper Darby Township and Millbourne Borough also have a voice. Clifton Heights Borough currently provides no physical contribution to the school district and hasn't for decades. There isn't a single school in the borough. Currently all schools in the district are in Upper Darby Township. There is a dire need for expansion throughout the district and that means also expanding beyond the Upper Darby Township boundaries and utilizing open space in the 2 boroughs that also make up the school district.

This petition calls for the support of Upper Darby Township Administration, Upper Darby Township Council, Millbourne Borough Administration, Millbourne Borough Council, Pat Toomey, Tim Kearney, Mary Gay Scanlon, Mike Zabel and Margo Davidson to support the needs of the school district as a whole, to support the urgent need for expansion. This petition calls for Clifton Heights Borough Administration, Clifton Heights Borough Council and Clifton Heights Borough residents along with the Clifton Heights Athletic Association to cease and desist immediately. Come to the table to work out an agreement that works for all so that Upper Darby School District can begin the long delayed development of Clifton Heights Middle School at Clifton Heights Athletic Fields no later than March 31, 2021. If Clifton Heights fails to meet these demands then this petition demands the immediate response by the Upper Darby School Board to terminate the lease for Clifton Heights Athletic Fields, fence in the property and lock the gates until such time as an agreement is settled and this long overdue project is underway.