Hello everyone,
The Christina School District earned a second chance with the overwhelming approval of a referendum earlier this week.
The bill is hefty by Delaware standards with property taxpayers with an average yearly increase of about $360.
The early betting had been against approval of the referendum, with a state takeover of the district one possible outcome.
Opponents, with some justification, argued that their money was not being well spent in a district with lagging student performance and a revolving door of top administrators.
Opponents were upset that the school board put popular music and athletic programs as well as teaching jobs on the chopping block in what they viewed as a move to stack the deck in favor of yes votes.
It turned out that a grassroots effort among parents, a few business people, and others in the district provided a boost.
Yard signs peppered nearly every development in the sprawling district that extends along its namesake river from Newark to Wilmington. The appointment of a highly regarded superintendent from Dover’s Capitol School District on the eve of the election aided the case for yes votes.
Also, in the COVID-19 world, homeschooling parents are more appreciative of the dedication of teachers, many of whom taught their own kids while operating virtual classrooms.
Approval of the referendum does not mean the district is out of the woods.
Population growth has stopped with the nearby Appoquinamink district and its nonstop building program luring families able to afford new homes in the $300s on up. A property tax bill folded into a hefty monthly mortgage payment is barely noticed.
Within Christina, charter schools and school choice gave parents further options as student performance deteriorated. The district, once the state’s largest, slipped into second place in total enrollment.
The changes left the district with a high percentage of lower-income students in need of more intense instruction.
The district is also the victim of an ancient state school aid formula that has allowed more affluent districts to pile on the enrichment programs, aided by more affluent parents who, at least until recently, routinely approved referendum votes. Delaware has stayed with a formula abandoned by many other states that pay a set per-pupil amount regardless of income levels of a district.
It triggered lawsuits that argue the current school aid formula and property assessment methods do not allow enough funds for equal educational opportunity. A vice-chancellor has already ruled that the lack of regular property tax assessments is not lawful and is seeking a settlement with counties and those filing the suit.
The inequalities are hard to miss.
A quick look at listings shows a modest $600,000 home in Bethany that may generate rental income carries a tax bill comparable to the one paid by the owner of a $300,000 home in the Christina district.
Enjoy what is shaping up to be a nice weekend. This newsletter returns on Monday. – Doug Rainey, chief content officer.
