CCIU to provide services to Chester Upland School District

DOWNINGTOWN » The Chester County Intermediate Unit has been selected to provide business operations, human resources, special education, technology support and pupil services support to the Chester Upland School District in Delaware County.

The request for proposals to oversee and staff critical operations is a part of the court-ordered recovery plan for the Chester Upland School District, which requires the Chester Upland School District to consider outsourcing operations in order to alleviate the District’s financial crisis and aid in the District’s financial recovery.

The Chester Upland School District has been designated as in financial recovery since 2012. Dr. Juan R. Baughn is the court-appointed Receiver, as such Dr. Baughn reports to the court. Dr. Baughn’s term began in May 2020. He served as the superintendent of the district for the three years immediately preceding his appointment.

According to Baughn, the Chester Upland School District issued a request for proposals (RFP) for business office, human resources, pupil services, special education and technology services in late July. The CCIU was chosen from among the applicants based on its comprehensive proposal, its ability to address all the needs outlined in the RFP in their entirety, and its proven track record for assisting districts in distress.

“The CCIU is wellknown throughout the commonwealth for developing, implementing and managing efficient and effective operations without sacrificing the quality of student programming,” said Dr. Baughn. “The CCIU has a tremendous capacity to deliver the services it promises. It has the infrastructure and the expertise to deliver highquality, cost-effective services to our District. I look forward to working with the CCIU administrative team led by Executive Director Dr. George Fiore to bring the financial stability and academic programming our community and our students deserve.”

The CCIU serves nearly 86,000 public, charter, and non-public school students and over 6,000 educators. CCIU’s major services include special education and compensatory education programs; career, technical and customized education; online learning; mentor training and staff development; technology initiatives; administrative services and consortia for school business operations; and curriculum services.

The CCIU has provided staffing for school districts facing similar circumstances to the Chester Upland School District including the Reading School District in Berks County, the Norristown Area School District in Montgomery County, and Coatesville Area School District in Chester County.

“The CCIU is well-positioned to provide the services that the Chester Upland School District has requested,” said Dr. George F. Fiore, CCIU executive director. “Our mission to provide the highest quality services, our commitment to equity in education, and our expertise in school operations and educational programming, makes CCIU the perfect partner for the Chester Upland School District. We are very excited to work with Dr. Baughn to move the district forward for their students, their fam

ilies and their entire community.”

Headquartered in Downingtown, the Chester County Intermediate Unit is one of 29 regional educational agencies established by law in Pennsylvania in 1971. Working between the Pennsylvania State Department of Education and the local school districts, CCIU is an educational service agency that exists to provide high-quality, cost-effective services to the community and its residents.

As part of the contract, CCIU will provide staffing for many critical roles in the district including business manager, operations manager, director of student services, human resources director, special education supervisors, technology director and other staff in these departments. A full listing of open positions can be found at https://w w w.cciu.org/employment.

Deadline for applications is Thursday.