Colonial Details Feb. 29 Referendum To Raise Revenue

Colonial’s referendum will take place Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Colonial School District is the latest to detail an operating and capital referendum to be held early next year.

In the district’s school board meeting Tuesday night, the board voted 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 year 2027.

This will result in more revenue for the district, which is meant to combat an expected operating budget deficit of $8 million this fiscal year and provide local funds for the operational needs and construction projects within the district.

The board had two other options that would generate revenue quicker, but would increase taxes more in a short amount of time.

They had an option that would bump up taxes 40 cents per $100 of assessed property value in fiscal year 2025, but the board opted for a phased approach to be put on the ballot.

Board member Robin Crossan was one of two board members to vote against this option. He preferred putting the 40 cent increase on the ballot to get revenue and thwart the operating deficit as soon as possible.

Colonial’s referendum will take place Feb. 29, 2024.

Its last referendum was in spring 2017.

“It failed in February and we went out for a second time in June and it passed,” Superintendent Jeff Menzer said.

The Department of Education recently approved a $122 million certificate of necessity for maintenance and improvements on all of the district’s 13 school buildings, which is 60% of the cost.

The local/state split is different for every district, but usually is around 65% state/35% district.

Emily Falcon, the district’s chief financial officer, said that the average age of Colonial’s school buildings is 60 years old.

With the average Colonial household assessed value set at $62,547, the average district resident will have Annual impact for the average household is $250.19

In addition to maintenance to the school buildings, the bump in revenue would help the district upgrade and renovate the parking lots, roofs, ADA accessible playgrounds, sidewalks, athletic facilities and lighting installments to sports fields.

Red Clay and Brandywine are also going holding referendums in February.

Appoquinimink narrowly failed to pass their referendum requests in Tuesday’s vote.

At the long-awaited funding report release event Tuesday, speakers cited one of the problems with the current funding formula in Delaware is it puts too much pressure on districts and residents to raise local funds in order to fulfill the needs of the neighborhood schools.

Falcon also cited that Colonial’s tax hike is less than the other New Castle County districts holding a referendum: