Is there a solution for Chester Upland's problems?

Sara Ferguson grew up in Chester, and, like her mother, aunt, and grandfather, chose to be a teacher there. For 21 years, she has taught at Columbus Elementary School, and often it seems each year is worse than the last.

Program cuts, staff furloughs, and claims of mismanagement are routine for the Chester Upland School District. Nearly half its 6,625 students have flocked to charter schools, many during the time the state ran the district. No superintendent lasts more than a few years; no turnaround plan ever takes root.

Ferguson, 48, sees teachers as the only vestige of stability. But even they cannot stem the tide, as class sizes swell to more than 40, and money dwindles for the most basic supplies.

"Things never got better for the children," she said.

Her words sounded like a eulogy, which might not be a stretch. After decades on the brink - and as a petri dish for state control, privatization, and charter schools - Chester Upland seems to be barreling toward a meltdown. Its fate could ripple statewide.

Last week, a federal judge told the state to give the district a $3.2 million advance, enough to cover payroll and bills for a month. U.S. District Judge Michael M. Baylson's order delayed, but did not defuse, the school system's crisis. The shortfall, officials say, could hit $20 million by June.

Another hearing is scheduled for Friday.

Gov. Corbett agreed to abide by the judge's order, but he also signaled that the Delaware County district - which sued for the money - could become a battleground in a broader war.

Corbett has made the funding and management of public schools a signature issue, and he has pushed legislation to establish state-appointed control boards with power to cancel teacher contracts, convert schools into charters, and send students to other districts. The governor also will not rule out closing Chester Upland.

Saying that students would be able to finish the school year, Corbett and Sen. Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R., Del.) said "the present structure is simply unsustainable" in a statement Friday.

The night before, about 75 people packed a school board meeting in Chester, vowing to save their schools. "This didn't happen in one year," said Wanda Mann, the school board president. "I think we've had 13 superintendents and I don't know how many control boards and one empowerment board - and the problems still exist, educationally and financially."