Superintendent helps students start year off right with classroom visits

DREXEL HILL, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- The excitement of the first day of school continued into the second day for students at Aronimink Elementary School in Drexel Hill.

"High fives, fist pumps are a way of life here for sure," said Josh Rehak, principal of Aronimink Elementary.

The excitement on the second day was partially due to the fact that the superintendent of Upper Darby School District was visiting the school.

"It shows that he cares and it's not just a job for him," said Ed Troy whose daughter goes to the school. "He comes out and talks to the kids and knows them by name. You can't beat that."

Classes started Monday in Upper Darby School District. In the first two days of school, Superintendent Dr. Daniel McGarry and his cabinet are visiting all 14 schools in the district. McGarry spent time in classrooms personally greeting kids.

Nearly 13,000 students are in the district. That's too many, the superintendent says for the district's current buildings. But plans to expand have come up against some resistance.

"We've got to get this community to wrap our heads around the fact that we have overcrowding and in order to alleviate that we have to expand certain buildings to make that happen," said McGarry.

In his visits this week, though, it's all about making the kids happy in their current classrooms.

"It's a wonderful period of time," McGarry said. "It's exciting."