🎓 New CASD Superintendent | 💉 Drug Take Back Day | 💸 ChesCo Women's Scholarship

In Today’s Edition of Downingtown Local Pulse…

☀️ Downingtown PA Weather

🎓 Coatesville School Board Names Anthony Rybarczyk as Superintendent

💉 Drug Take Back Day Returns with Drop-Off Locations Across Chester County

💸 Scholarship Supports Chester County Women in Preservation Trades

🦅 Eagles Boost Defense with 31st Draft Pick

🗓️ Upcoming Local Events

🏡 Just Listed Real Estate Listings

🔎 Support Local Downingtown Businesses

Coatesville School Board Names Anthony Rybarczyk as Superintendent

COATESVILLE, PA — At its April 23 meeting, the Coatesville Area School Board named Anthony Rybarczyk as superintendent, formalizing a leadership transition that began last fall when he was first appointed substitute superintendent. Rybarczyk, formerly assistant superintendent, had been serving as interim superintendent since January following Catherine Van Vooren’s resignation.

His new contract runs through June 2028 with an annual salary of $245,000. The board also adopted a preliminary $239.3 million budget for the 2025–26 school year. The proposal, which currently carries a $12.3 million deficit, does not yet outline any changes to the millage rate. Any increase will be capped by the state’s Act 1 index, which limits tax hikes to 5.1%.

In addition, the board approved its share of the Chester County Intermediate Unit’s budgets, including $461,000 for core programs and $4.3 million for occupational education. A final vote on the school district’s budget is scheduled for June 10, with the next board meeting set for May 13.

Drug Take Back Day Returns with Drop-Off Locations Across Chester County

COATESVILLE, PA — Drug Take Back Day returns on Saturday, April 26, offering Chester County residents a chance to safely dispose of unused or expired medications. The initiative runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at designated drop-off locations, including the City of Coatesville Police Department, the Coatesville VA Medical Center, and Tredyffrin Township Police Department.

The event is designed to reduce the risk of prescription drug misuse and prevent potentially harmful substances from ending up in the wrong hands or in the water supply. Only pills and solid medications will be accepted—no liquids or sharps.

For those unable to attend, permanent medication disposal boxes remain available year-round at select sites across the county. Details on those locations are available at chesco.org/2673/Medication-Disposal.

Scholarship Supports Chester County Women in Preservation Trades

WEST CHESTER, PA — The Natalie A.W. Leaf Scholarship, a program rooted in legacy and preservation, is now open for 2025 applications. The scholarship provides $2,500 awards to Chester County women seeking training in heritage trades — from woodworking and masonry to metalwork and landscaping.

Named after West Chester native Natalie Leaf, a passionate educator and preservationist who dedicated her life to restoring cultural heritage, the fund was created from her estate to support others in continuing this hands-on work. Leaf’s own journey revealed how few women had access to skilled trade education or meaningful roles in restoration — a gap the fund aims to close.

Now managed by the Chester County Community Foundation, the scholarship prioritizes women pursuing independence or new beginnings through craftsmanship. Since its inception, the program has helped 133 recipients and distributed more than half a million dollars in support.

The deadline to apply has been extended to August 1. Interested applicants can apply online at chescocf.org and contact the foundation for more information. Supporters of the fund see it not just as a scholarship, but as a mission to preserve the character of Chester County — and to empower the next generation of women artisans to leave their mark.

With 31st Pick, Eagles Bolster Defense by Drafting Jihaad Campbell

PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Philadelphia Eagles selected linebacker Jihaad Campbell from Alabama with the 31st overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, aiming to strengthen their defensive depth with a fast, athletic playmaker.

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