Residents in the Red Clay School District approved a measure that would raise taxes .35 cents per $100 of assessed property value over three years to cover increased operating expenses in their budget and provide for improvements in technology, curriculum and student services (the actual cost to the average homeowner in Red Clay once the measure is fully phased in would be $280 per year).
The voters’ approval means the district will avoid cuts across its schools and will invest some new money into giving every student access to technology in the classroom, boosting reading programs and providing more interventionists, among other additions.
“We were very excited that our community felt that we were worthy of the tax increase,” Superintendent Merv Daugherty said. “I think it’s a verification that people think we are doing the right job for our students.”
Residents in the Christina School District had two options to chose from, and they said no to both. The first option was a bare bones measure to just “keep the lights on,” and it would have raised taxes .65 cents per $100 of assessed property value phased in over three years. Only 26% of Christina residents voted yes to that. The second option would have raised taxes an additional .40 cents per $100 of assessed property value phased in over four years (so a total of $1.05 per $100), with the additional funds to pay for improvements in technology, arts, and early childhood learning. Only 22% voted yes.
So what’s next?
Christina Superintendent Freeman Williams said the district will pursue a second attempt at a referendum.
“Our community sent a message that we must redefine and refine our request in order for us to have a second attempt at a referendum that would be successful,” Williams said. “We are going to engage people who were supportive and people who were not supportive this time and come up with a focus that will resonate with the public.”
Williams said part of that discussion will be a more specific plan for what would need to be cut from schools’ budgets if the district does not get new money. “We have to make sure that we respond to what happened tonight and do it not as a scare tactic, but as a way for us to be prudent and frugal in our response,” he said.
So the next try will include or at least inform voters that if they vote no, these are the budget cuts that will result. Good plan. These referendums always face an opposition that goes like this: “Why do they need more money? Their adminstrators make 100k. Cut them!!!” Well, they first should educate themselves on how school districts are funded.
Delaware school districts get about a third of their budgets from local taxes and about 60 percent from the state. While the state’s share grows as the districts take on more students, the only way districts can increase their local funding is to periodically seek voters’ approval.
So Christina voters, if you don’t want to pay more in property taxes to fund your school district, wear a condom once and a while, for it is your fault the district is growing. Either you had more kids, or you moved there.