The Wilmington Learning Collaborative has established its bylaws.

Leaning Collab bylaws outline procedures, stagger board terms

Jarek RutzEducation, Headlines

The Wilmington Learning Collaborative has finalized its bylaws, a foundational document in the group’s operations on which the governing council has worked with an attorney for months.  Bylaws are established to set rules, regulations and policies for an organization to help it regulate itself. In part, the bylaws act as a higher authority that all members of the collaborative – …

Dr. Edward Ryans, left, and Dr. Laura Burgos, are the two WLC executive director finalists.

Learning Collab picks 2 finalists for executive director

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

The Wilmington Learning Collaborative has narrowed the search for an executive director to two finalists after months of appealing for applications and then sifting through more than 100 candidates. Dr. Laura Burgos and Dr. Edward Ryans are the finalists for the job, said council member Alethea Smith-Tucker during the Thursday night meeting of the collaborative’s governing council meeting.  The Wilmington …

School board elections: polls open until 8 p.m. Tuesday

Jarek RutzEducation, Headlines

Today’s the day: after nine weeks of campaigning, 40 Delawareans will compete for 23 school board seats in Tuesday’s school board elections.  “Over the last couple of months, our campaign has had the opportunity to connect with thousands of voters who’ve shared their stories, hopes, and aspiration for Red Clay and its future,” said Jose Matthews, an incumbent board member …

Learning Collab seeks permission to extend planning period

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

The council of the Wilmington Learning Collaborative will ask the three participating districts to amend their memorandum of understanding to extend the council’s planning period.  “We’ve got one shot at this,” said councilman Lincoln Hohler, who is Brandywine School District’s superintendent. “We can’t come back to the community with another failed initiative and say we want to reboot, we get …

Two properties within Christina School District await Colonial and Red Clay's school board district to vote on a tax abatement. (Photos via Google Maps)

Want school tax exemption in Wilm? All 4 districts must OK it

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

Brandywine School District exempted a Wilmington church and office building from having to pay school property taxes, even though they are not in the district. Both properties are part of Christina School District, but the state’s tax code requires Christina, Brandywine, Colonial and Red Clay district school boards all must approve the abatement request in order for the owners to …

Several school districts removed the virtual option for board meetings. (Unsplash)

5 school districts drop virtual option for board meetings

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

Five of Delaware’s 19 school districts no longer livestream their board meetings.  Caesar Rodney, Delmar, Laurel, Smyrna and Woodbridge school districts removed the virtual option this years as students and faculty return to an in-person environment with pandemic restrictions diminishing. John Marinucci, the executive director of the Delaware School Boards Association, said the organization pushed for legislation that allowed, but …

A bill would make 16 the legal age to vote in school board elections.

Should 16-year-olds be able to vote in school board races? 

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

A bill that would drop the age to vote in school board elections to 16 is drawing strong opposition from one education group. The voting age now is 18. House Bill 96, sponsored by Rep. Eric Morrison, D-Glasgow, which would lower that voting age for school board races, is set to be heard Wednesday at the 3 p.m. House Education …

JUUL Labs will pay out about $8 million to the First State as past of a national lawsuit settlement. (Pixabay)

New Castle Vo-Tech to get $113,016 from JUUL lawsuit

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

New Castle County Vocational Technical District will receive $113,016 as part of Delaware’s $8 million share of the settlement of a national lawsuit against JUUL Labs, an electric cigarette company.  Delaware school districts in recent months have been holding executive meetings to discuss the settlement, but declining to say anything about it in public. The suit was settled in September …

Appo will buy metal/weapon detectors for all 3 of its high schools. (Photo from Evolv)

Appo to lease weapon detectors amid schools’ focus on safety

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

Appoquinimink School District’s vote this week to install weapon detectors is the latest move by Delaware schools to combat violence and the presence of guns. It’s an issue that’s plagued schools since fall, with the latest incident occurring Wednesday when a Sussex Central High School student was found with a firearm on school property.  The student was taken into custody …

The Wilmington Learning Collaborative hopes to get more candidates for its executive director position. (Unsplash)

Learning Collab extends director application indefinitely

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

With only seven applicants for executive director, the Wilmington Learning Collaborative council voted Thursday to extend the application deadline indefinitely. It was to have ended by March 23, with the post being filled by June 1.  The council also discussed whether to alert the current applicants that the deadline was being extended, whether to post the job ad in Ed …