Chester Upland School District recovery plan hints at returning art and music classes

Children in the struggling Chester Upland School District could see art and music classes restored as soon as this school year, according to a financial and academic recovery plan that will be released Tuesday.

Joseph Watkins, the Delaware County district's state-appointed chief recovery official, said he already has received private funding commitments to bring back the programs cut two years ago.

Watkins said he intends to try to tap other nonpublic revenue sources to bring about other improvements, such as more after-school and summer programs and professional development for district staff.

However, Watkins said in an interview Friday that the plan does not call for putting the schools into private management, as some critics of his appointment had feared.

"We want to save the public school district," said Watkins, who prior to his Chester Upland appointment headed Students First, a pro-voucher and charter-school political action committee.

Under law, however, Watkins does have power to convert schools to charter schools.

The plan's mandate is to turn around the low-performing district academically and grow the student body, which he said has been shrinking by about 5 percent a year.

To get the district in financial shape and deal with a $3.2 million deficit that is projected to grow, Watkins said the district will have to consider steps such as reducing staff, consolidating schools, selling buildings, and increasing some class sizes.

Last summer, Chester school board members expressed anger at the passage of the distressed-schools legislation that led to Watkins' appointment. They faulted poor state management of the district and deep state and federal cuts in 2011 for many of the district's problems. The state first took control of Chester Upland in 1994.

"They're coming in ... and blaming us for something they've done," said board member Anthony Johnson on Monday.

If the school board does not approve the plan, the state can seek to have the district turned over to a receiver.

A public meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Showalter Intermediate School, 1100 W. 10th St., to discuss the plan.

It will be available for view after 1 p.m. at www.CUSDRecoveryPlan.org.