Increased security, leadership posts proposed in Upper Darby schools

UPPER DARBY >> A first look at potential staffing additions in the Upper Darby School District for the next school year include more security personnel in elementary schools and more social workers and lead teachers in the secondary buildings.

Administrators are asking for an additional six safety officers in the 201718 school year for the five elementary schools and the kindergarten center that currently do not have such personnel. The proposal is looking to bring uniformity in security personnel across all of the lowerlevel grade schools and will add $275,931 to the department of public safety’s budget if approved. All officers in these buildings are budgeted to work 245 days per year with hourly pay of $22.05.

This would bring the total number of security personnel from 32 to 38.

Included in the staffing proposal were hourly $1 pay increases for four lieutenants and sergeants to $23.05- and $22.55-anhour, respectively, adding on $5,200 a year. Public Safety Director Lou Gentile said the pay increases is compensation to the officers for their extra responsibilities

Security personnel for the middle and high schools are not looking to change.

In total, the public safety department budget will increase from $1.1 million to $1.38 million with the proposed staffing numbers. Save for Gentile, all officers and security greeters are per diem and do not receive benefits.

The other personnel request came for Drexel Hill and Beverly Hills middle schools and the high school, with each building asking for an additional social worker and lead teacher (middle school admin asked for two leads each). Expanding an assistant principal position from 10 months to 12 months at each middle school was requested, as well as two more counselors at Beverly Hills.

Beverly Hills Principal Kelley Simone said the assistant principal and lead teachers would be an additional help that will provide, “additional supports and services that are needed to create that wellrounded student,” and give more instructional assistance to students and staff. She also said it would be a cheaper way to better delegate a principal’s responsibilities

The total cost for the nine new positions and two assistant principals’ expansion additions is approximately $700,000 including salary and benefits.

The personnel requests were moved out of committee to be put in the 2017-18 budget. Any requests can be modified and approved by the board with the planned adoption of a final budget on June 20.