The school year in the Upper Darby School District starts on Aug. 29.
So this might be a good time to ask who the superintendent is, of where the current superintendent, Rick Dunlap, is?
In a mystery that could prove worth of their famous Summer Stage program, Dunlap has been MIA since July 21.
Officially, Dunlap is on paid leave.
But the board has not taken any formal action on his status, and it is not clear when or even if they will.
It's pretty clear there was some kind of split between the school board and Dunlap, who received for the most part rave reviews since arriving in Upper Darby and was given a new, five-year contract extension. That new deal also included a pay hike, bringing his annual salary to $194,866 a year.
Right now, Dunlap is being paid to stay away.
In a district that is constantly pinching pennies, and which basically drained a lot of its fund balance to avoid a tax hike this year as a "one-time gift" to taxpayers, this doesn't seem to make much sense.
But no one is talking about what the reasons behind Dunlap's absence are. Not the superintendent, not the school district, nor any board members.
Rumors have been swirling around the district in terms of what happened to Dunlap, whether or not he was terminated, and whether or not he will be back.
You can get the latest in this mystery here.
A few weeks back we lauded the struggling district - and their school board - for holding the line and avoiding another tax increase on home owners who already struggle under the weight of some of the highest taxes in the county.
Now they owe those same property owners - you know, the people who pay the district's bills - an explanation of exactly what Dunlap's status is.
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