Smyrna School District’s capital and operating referendum to raise local revenue for it school’s has failed. It’s request to raise local funds was rejected at a vote of 820 “yes” and 1,129 “no” (57.9%). The other ballot option – which would authorize the district to issue bonds for capital projects like building a new intermediate school – also failed, with …
Hereās how Delaware slices its school funding pie
One might find it hard to believe that laundry, driverās ed and athletic travel and equipment are considered āinstructional costsā in Delaware public schools, but they are.Ā Instruction is one of nine categories of funding for the First Stateās public schools.Ā It makes up 55.28% of the spending for the 23-24 school year, totaling $1,584,970,346, according to the Delaware State …
Hodgsonās Maiss Hussein repeats as Delaware Poetry Out Loud champ
Maiss Hussein, a senior at Paul M. Hodgson Vocational Technical High School, is once again Delawareās Poetry Out Loud winner. She went back-to-back, winning this yearās competition at the Smyrna Opera House Thursday night with her rendition of “āHopeā is the thing with feathersā by Emily Dickinson.Ā The poem reads: āHopeā is the thing with feathers – That perches in …
Colonial referendum passes one day after Red Clay’s success
Colonial School District’s capital and operating referendum has passed, a day after Red Clay’s referendum also passed. With the successful referendum passes, there will be a phased approach to a local tax increase, with a spike of 25 cents per $100 of assessed property value in fiscal year 2025, 10 cents in fiscal year 2026 and five cents in fiscal …
Legislature to be briefed on new school funding report
Delawareās legislators will get their first official look next week at a recently released funding report that suggests changes to how the state funds its schools and says it should pump $500 million to $1 billion more into education. Many of the legislators attended the December announcement of the report by the American Institutes for Research. On Thursday, March 7, …
Ursulineās record $5M Fusco donation to rebuild, expand gym
A downtown Wilmington Catholic girls school has received the largest donation in its 130-year history, and students rocked its gymnasium in delight Thursday. Anthony N. Fusco Sr., a Delaware philanthropist and real estate developer has made a $5 million commitment to Ursuline Academy. The donation will pay for the total renovation of Laffey McHugh Gymnasium, originally constructed in 1980; create …
Red Clay referendum passes with large support
The referendum for the Red Clay Consolidated School District, the largest school district in Delaware, has passed. The district’s residents have voted for both the operating and capital component of the referendum that will increase their taxes $404 on average over three years. It would include $242 more in fiscal year 2025, $81 more in fiscal year 2026 and $81 …
6 named 2024 Superstars in Education & Training Winners
Six institutions in Delaware have been recognized by the Delaware State Chamber as 2024 Superstars in Education & Training winners. Since 1989, the awards program has recognized educational programs for innovative and impactful programming.Ā The Delaware State Chamber of Commerce and its affiliate, The Partnership, Inc., stated that all of this yearās winners exemplify creativity and efficacy in workforce development …
12 finalists will compete for 2024 Poetry Out Loud title
Twelve of the finest high school poets Delaware has to offer have been picked to take the stage at the Smyrna Opera House Thursday for this year’s Poetry Out Loud finals. Last year’s winner was Maiss Hussein from Paul M. Hodgson Vocational Technical High School, who was crowned the First State champion with her recitation of Tarfia Faizullahās āThe Poem …
Wilmington Charter goes back-to-back, ties most wins in State Mock Trial
After the stateās young prospective lawyers battled it out in the courtrooms for five rounds of competition over two days, the Charter School of Wilmington has gone back-to-back, winning the 2024 Delaware High School Mock Trial. RELATED: Wilmington Charter wins 2023 state mock trial competition With March Madness creeping up, the mock trial is structured like a tournament bracket, withĀ …