Daniel Macgarry: Latest News

(Photo by Kerem Yucel/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) DREXEL HILL, Pa. - In the hours before he's due at Upper Darby High School, senior Khalid Doulat has time to say prayers, help his mother or prepare for track practice.It's a welcome shift from last year for him and thousands of students at the school, which pushed its start time back by more than two hours — from a 7:30 a.m. start time to 9:45 a.m. One goal for the change: to ease strains on students that were more visible than ever coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic."I’ll be honest, I’ve been much happier in the mornings," Doulat said.

UPPER DARBY, Pa. - "Unsettling" behaviors, "worn out" staff and "potentially unsafe" situations has left one local school superintendent feeling the need to reach out to parents directly for help."I send this communication with hope and optimism of better days ahead for us as a community, but recent student behaviors are unsettling to say the least," Daniel McGarry, superintendent of Upper Darby School District, wrote in a letter to families last week.McGarry described the past few months as being emotionally and physically draining as physical fights and social media bullying have escalated in the district's schools, on buses and even outside school hours."We will not tolerate threats of violence or acts of violence in our schools or community. We have to do better," he wrote.The superintendent joined Good Day on Monday to discuss the "mixed" reactions from parents after sending out the letter asking parents to speak with their children about their behavior, and how to "treat one another with respect.""The reaction from some folks in the community is that teachers and administrators could do more," he told FOX 29's Alex Holley and Mike Jerrick.

DREXEL HILL, Pa. - Starting Monday, school districts in Pennsylvania were able to decide whether students and staff will be required to wear masks.

UPPER DARBY, Pa. - Upper Darby High School is making some changes after the school year got off to a rocky start."We’ve had more emergency situations in the first month of school here than we’ve had in a long time," says Superintendent Dr. Daniel McGarry.Last week alone the high school evacuated after a student set a paper towel roll on fire.

UPPER DARBY, Pa. - Frustrated students at Upper Darby High School lined up outside the school Wednesday afternoon to pick up their computers, cell phones and books after many left their belongs behind when they were forced to evacuate around lunchtime because of a fire.The superintendent says a student set fire to a toilet paper roll in a bathroom also catching some plastic on fire."One of our custodians was able to put it out quickly, thank you. The smoke and burning plastic made its way through the school pretty quickly.