Upper Darby School District officials say it is costing the district $20,000 to $30,000 a month in legal fees to fight opposition from Clifton Heights to a new middle school on the Clifton Heights athletic fields, writes Loretta Rodgers for the Daily Times.

Clifton Heights Mayor Joe Lombardo said they are only asking the district to follow proper procedures.

“We have done nothing to block them. The district has been trying to jam things down our throats and we are going to make them go through the proper steps.  We are doing our jobs as elected officials,” Lombardo said.

The district needs the new $65 million, 147,000-square-foot middle school to ease student overcrowding.

District officials said the Clifton Heights athletic field on North Springfield Road, owned by the district, is the most suitable location.

Clifton Heights residents and officials have objected to the school’s location, which impacts the borough’s use of the field.

They have raised concerns that the school will increase daily population by 20 percent, add more than 1,000 daily vehicle trips to the neighborhood and put a strain on borough resources.

Read more about the ongoing dispute between Clifton Heights Borough and the Upper Darby School District here.

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