About

West Chester
by the Numbers

Local government, by the numbers.

What This Is

West Chester by the Numbers is a data-driven publication covering local government across the West Chester Area School District (WCASD) and its eight member municipalities: West Chester Borough, East Goshen Township, West Goshen Township, East Bradford Township, West Whiteland Township, Westtown Township, and both Thornbury Townships (Chester and Delaware Counties). We track budgets, board votes, spending trends, election results, and civic data — and present it in a way that's clear, accessible, and grounded in verifiable public records.

The name signals an approach, not a format. Not every piece is a spreadsheet. But everything is rooted in documented facts, real numbers, and identified sources — cited transparently so readers can verify what we report.

Editorial Philosophy

  • Non-partisan. We cover facts, not sides. We do not endorse candidates, parties, or political positions.
  • Clarity first. Government data is often dense and inaccessible. Our job is to make it understandable without distorting it.
  • Cite everything. Every claim links to a source. Every number identifies where it came from and when it was accessed.
  • Corrections matter. When we get something wrong, we correct it promptly and note it on the original post.

What We Cover

01

School District

WCASD budgets, board votes, enrollment trends, per-pupil spending, staff data, and school performance metrics.

02

Municipal Government

Council and township supervisor votes, budget breakdowns, development activity, public safety data, and property tax analysis across WCASD's member municipalities.

03

Civic Education

Explainers on how local government works, voter turnout data, township comparisons, and historical trend analysis.

Data Sources

We draw primarily from public records and government-published data, including:

  • Pennsylvania Department of Education Annual Financial Reports (AFR)
  • Open Book PA (Pennsylvania Treasury)
  • WCASD adopted budgets and BoardDocs meeting records
  • Borough of West Chester Agenda Center, CAFR, and annual budgets
  • Township meeting minutes, budgets, and CAFR filings for WCASD member municipalities
  • Chester County Open Data, GIS, and Elections Office
  • Delaware County Open Data and Elections Office
  • U.S. Census Bureau / American Community Survey
  • Chester County Court of Common Pleas public docket
  • Right-to-Know requests filed under Pennsylvania's RTKL

Data is identified by source and access date on each post. Government agencies periodically revise published data; we note material changes when we become aware of them.

Disclaimer

All content on West Chester by the Numbers is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, investment, or professional advice of any kind.

We make reasonable efforts to ensure accuracy, but we do not warrant that all information is complete, current, or error-free. Data is sourced from public records and third-party government sources; we are not responsible for errors or omissions in those underlying sources.

Coverage of litigation and legal matters is based solely on public court records and documented facts. We do not opine on the merits of active cases.

Nothing on this site should be relied upon as the basis for any legal, financial, or civic decision without independent verification.

Contact

Questions, corrections, tips, or feedback: hello@westchesterbythenumbers.com

Right-to-Know requests we've filed are available upon request. If you believe something we've published contains a factual error, please reach out and we will review it promptly.