Brandywine to hold election in Feb. to raise taxes

If voted for, the annual tax increase for most Brandywine residents would be less than $200.

The residents of Brandywine School District will have the opportunity to vote for or against a raise in taxes at a special election on Feb. 13, 2024.

The district is seeking to raise $15,625,549 of local revenue “to support ongoing district operations.”

If passed, those that live in the district will have their local school taxes increased a total of 45 cents per $100 of assessed property value. 

The average assessed value in Brandywine is $72,701, so the average homeowner would see a $181.75 increase in taxes for fiscal year 2025 and a $145.40 per year increase in fiscal year 2026 and beyond.

Here are some of the ways the district will use the potential revenue boost: 

• Continued operations and operating cost increases
• Continued safety and security initiatives including additional constables
• Continued staff retention and recruitment including salary and employment costs and maintaining building-based substitutes
• Maintaining curricular and other instructional programming for students, including gifted, international baccalaureate, AVID and alternative education
• Maintaining extra-curricular programming including visual and performing arts, athletics and clubs
• Technology maintenance and repair including chromebooks and interactive classroom boards

The polls for the special election will be open on Tuesday, Feb. 13th, 2024 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.  

Eligible voters do not have to be a registered voter for general elections, but must be a U.S. citizen and a Brandywine resident of at least 18 years of age. 

Absentee ballots are also available here. 

The Brandywine board of education is expected to discuss the election at its monthly meeting Monday night, which starts at 7 p.m. and can be watched here.

Polling places are Brandywine High School, Carrcroft Elementary School, Claymont Elementary School, Concord High School, Forwood Elementary School, Hanby Elementary School, Lancashire Elementary School, Lombardy Elementary School, Maple Lane Elementary School, Mount Pleasant Elementary School, Mount Pleasant High School, P.S. DuPont Middle School, Springer Middle School and Talley Middle School.

Brandywine is just one of several districts holding special elections in the coming months to raise local revenue.

RELATED: Red Clay sets 2024 referendum to match state capital funds

Others include Appoquinimink, Red Clay Consolidated and Colonial school districts.

RELATED: Appo referendum Dec. 12; would increase taxes $435 yearly

Appo’s referendum is Tuesday.

Jarek Rutz

Raised in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Jarek earned a B.A. in journalism and a B.A. in political science from Temple University in 2021. After running CNN’s Michael Smerconish’s YouTube channel, Jarek became a reporter for the Bucks County Herald before joining Delaware LIVE News.

Jarek can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at (215) 450-9982. Follow him on Twitter @jarekrutz and on LinkedIn.