Your child’s success starts here:
Downingtown Area School District
Set in the heart of Chester County, DASD is a close-knit community with a proud tradition of excellence. In DASD, every student is valued, engaged, and prepared with the confidence and skills for future success. Our students become part of a lifelong Downingtown network, joining generations of graduates who remain deeply connected to their schools and community.
Choosing Downingtown Area School District means your child will benefit from strong academics, personalized supports, award-winning arts and athletics, and a welcoming community that invests in every student.
Every decision we make centers on being responsible stewards of taxpayer funds with a continued commitment to providing programs and experiences that challenge, inspire, and reflect the excellence our community expects.
Did you Know?
- For families seeking online learning options, Downingtown Cyber Academy offers a flexible, high-quality program with 100% state-certified teachers, while keeping students connected to DASD.
- DASD students continue to outperform county charter schools by an average of 44% higher in math and 37% higher in English/language arts.
Last year, 127 students returned to DASD from charter and cyber charter schools. Families consistently shared that they felt valued, welcomed, and heard. We invite families considering a return from charter or cyber charter schools to reach out, experience the difference firsthand, and to join our DASD family.
Sincerely,
Robert J. O'Donnell, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
It brings me so much joy and relief to see him doing so well
“I’m happy to share that after four months, [my child] is absolutely thriving at school. He loves his teachers, his classmates, and the overall environment. As a parent, it brings me so much joy and relief to see him doing so well, and I am grateful for the support he has received.”
- Uliana Kalagina
Parent of a former 2024–25 charter school student
The difference we have experienced from this transition is massive
"We have 3 kids... joining DASD this year. The difference we have experienced from this transition is massive, we have found a warm welcome and teachers fully engaged in the kids learning and well being. The resources at DASD are just a huge step forward for the kids, facilities are great, kids have the material they need to learn every day, the use of electronic devices and platforms (eg. snow days) is amazing (before we will only have a closed school and not even a remote option).
Without a doubt there is one case for our [child], who started the year with a kind of complex IEP. We received a pretty early contact to ensure he would continue with the services and answering our doubts. We have not only stayed with such services but after working with him the teacher’s determined a reevaluation needed to be made, it was done and now we know he needs more support and will actually receive it. All the people working around him are great professionals, caring, loving and truly compromised with his success, we have seen progress and now he feels more confident and able to thrive (at [our old school] he expressed a negative perception of himself which was hard). Even when the road is still long, having all this support really makes the difference and we feel working as a big team and extension school - home. Special mention to Mrs. Jackson, Mrs. Reiner and Mrs. Luna. Thank you DASD for all this!"
-Claudia & Jorge Hernandez
Parents from former 24-25 charter school student
Such a positive change
"My daughter has had a great experience transitioning to the 6th grade center. She had a few adjustments to make - but she loves it. She has a good group of friends and is participating in after school activities. This was such a positive change for her. I love the support she gets from all of her teachers, guidance counselor and principal Mr Barr."
- Shanelle Dorsey
Parent of a former 2024–25 charter school student
seamless transition
"My son...has had a very seamless transition. From social perspective, it took him couple of weeks to find a new group of friends, but now he is fully immersed into the DASD community. Joining the school’s swim team helped as well. From academic perspective, we really appreciate the more advanced level offered by STEM where classes are taught by teachers with prior industry experience, many of them being successful and respected practitioners in their respective fields. Overall, it has been a very positive experience."
- Miriam Ratkovicova
Parent of a former 2024–25 charter school student
Why Families Choose DASD
Academic Excellence
DASD students out-perform their charter school counterparts, with rankings among the best in the county and state.
Student Connection
DASD prioritizes student well-being and engagement, ensuring all students feel safe, valued, and cared for.
Life-Long Success
DASD develops responsible community members who are prepared for a future of their choice.
Did You Know: Charter School Edition
Categories
Keyword
Academic Excellence
