Long-struggling Chester schools now expect surplus

    A long-struggling school district just outside Philadelphia says it’s expecting to report a budget surplus.

    The Delaware County Daily Times reports school officials say an audit of Chester Upland School District’s 2011-2012 budget is expected to reveal that the district finished the year with a surplus of about $1 million in its accumulated fund balance.

    Chief Financial Officer George Crawford says that’s enough to estimate a surplus.

    He revealed the figures Monday at a meeting hosted by Joseph Watkins, a state-appointed receiver tasked with implementing the financial and academic recovery plan he developed while serving as the district’s chief recovery officer.

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    The district has been financially distressed for years, and operated under state oversight until July 2010. That’s when it reverted to governance by an elected school board.

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