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Chester County Press

New board member elected in Unionville-Chadds Ford

07/17/2014 02:59PM ● By Acl

Robert Sage (left) is sworn in by Unionville Chadds Ford School Board president Victor Dupuis on July 14.

By John Chambless

Staff Writer

After deadlocking at last month's meeting on a choice for a new board member, the Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board elected a new member at a special meeting on July 14. 

The board elected Robert Sage to replace former member Eileen Bushelow. In the second round of voting on Monday night, Sage emerged with the required five votes for election, and candidate Hsinte Yen got three votes. 

“We have a new school board director,” said board president Victor Dupuis, smiling, before swearing in Sage as a member. Sage then took a seat at the table next to the other board members.

Sage is the vice-president of global technology and operations for MetLife, Inc., in Wilmington, Del. He and his wife have three boys who attend Pocopson Elementary School. His father has been a high-school math and computer science teacher since 1960, and still teaches part-time. Sage has extensive experience in finance and management of employees. 

In his application for the position on the school board, he wrote, “My ability to collaborate with other directors and the superintendent will benefit the board. Boards that work together effectively are much more likely to achieve improved educational, social and financial outcomes. I would not join the board with a preconceived agenda. Rather, I would apply the same approach that has served me well in the corporate world – listen and gather information, look at data, hear multiple perspectives, discuss the merits of the issue, then make the best decision and move forward.”

Each board member welcomed Sage after his election to a term that ends in December 2015. Board member Jeff Hellrung said, “I would like to say what all of us are thinking, and that is that all the candidates were excellent. I could have voted for any of the candidates.”

Board member Kathleen Do welcomed Sage and said, “I hope you do take on the mantle of working with policy” for the board, which is in the midst of an overhaul of all the district's policies. 

“Thank you for your support,” Sage told the board. “I hope to work to advance the academic quality in this school district.”

In other business at the 15-minute meeting, the board voted unanimously in favor of a bond resolution addendum that will allow the district to take funds left over from the Unionville High School project and spend them on restoration work at Hillendale Elementary and the Charles F. Patton Middle School. 

Robert Cochran, the director of business and operations, explained that the addendum changed a line in the bond resolution to add “and various other capital projects” to a line that had specified the bond money could only be used for Unionville High School and its campus. 

The next meeting of the school board will be held on Aug. 11. Visit www.ucfsd.org for updated information.