Upper Darby School District
Upper Darby School District is a public school district based in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, serving 12,356 students in 13 schools. By enrollment it ranks #11 of the 382 Pennsylvania districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 97% of them. Its schools average 950 students each, more than the Pennsylvania median of 560. Its superintendent is Daniel McGarry. It spends about $13,933 per student on day-to-day operations, 12% less than the Pennsylvania median. It has roughly 13.7 students per teacher.
How Upper Darby compares
Spending and staffing
| Measure | Upper Darby | Pennsylvania median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $13,933 | $15,764 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $9,625 | $10,126 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $215.4 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $226.0 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 900 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Total staff (full-time equivalent) | 1,598 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 13.7 | 13.4 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 301 | 328 | 2024-25 |
Spending: NCES school district finance survey (F-33), FY2020-21. Staffing and enrollment: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25. Via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. The Pennsylvania median compares districts with 1,000 or more students.
Leadership
Moves tracker →Daniel McGarry
Source: Pennsylvania Department of Education, EdNA, checked 2026-10-19. Report a change
In the news
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Peer districts in Pennsylvania
Compare side by side →| District | Students | Schools | Spending per student | Students per teacher | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Penn School DistrictLansdale | 12,911 | 17 | $18,564 | 13.6 | #8 |
| Bethlehem Area School DistrictBethlehem | 12,769 | 22 | $15,963 | 12.9 | #9 |
| Central Dauphin School DistrictHarrisburg | 12,517 | 19 | $13,889 | 13.9 | #10 |
| Upper Darby School DistrictUpper Darby · this district | 12,356 | 13 | $13,933 | 13.7 | #11 |
| West Chester Area School DistrictExton | 12,042 | 17 | $16,327 | 12.7 | #12 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Higley Unified School District (4248)Gilbert, AZ | 12,387 | $8,091 | 16.6 |
| Pulaski County Special School DistrictLittle Rock, AR | 12,368 | $13,220 | 13.4 |
| Natrona County School District #1Casper, WY | 12,352 | $16,847 | 14.0 |
| Clover Park School DistrictLakewood, WA | 12,345 | $16,025 | 15.6 |
Peers are the districts closest in enrollment, so they can still differ in many other ways. Enrollment, school counts and phone numbers are from the NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25.
Printed from Superintendent's Corner: https://superintendentscorner.com/district-pa-upper-darby-school-district