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
Delaware’s 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, …
Ursuline’s 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. The Delaware State Chamber of Commerce and its affiliate, The Partnership, Inc., stated that all of this year’s 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 Faizullah’s “The Poem …
Wilmington Charter goes back-to-back, ties most wins in State Mock Trial
After the state’s 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, with …
What happens if you’re waitlisted from school of choice?
After wading through the process of school choice, Erin Exelby found herself woken up in the middle of the night worrying what would happen if her children were waitlisted from their top selections. School districts sent parents and children emails about a month ago saying whether they were accepted, denied or waitlisted for their preferred schools. Waitlisting essentially means that …
Sussex community vocalizes needs, hope for education
A few dozen parents of students, educators and concerned community members shared their frustrations with education in Delaware and hopes for the future during a town hall Wednesday night. The few students in the crowd received applause and praise from the crowd for caring enough to be involved in changing the status quo of a system still funded by an …
WLC needs three more months to set performance reqs
The Wilmington Learning Collaborative says it needs three extra months to set performance requirements for the schools it’s overseeing. That means the organization will have to go back to the Brandywine, Christina and Red Clay districts for permission to move the deadline from March 31 to June 30. The performance requirements include setting goals through written agreements with the three …