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

Colonial details Feb. 29 referendum to raise revenue

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

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 …

Red Clay and Colonial school districts were the biggest funding beneficiaries of this year's certificate of necessity approvals.

Colonial, Red Clay biggest winners in state funding requests

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

The state Department of Education has made some school districts very happy by deeming their requests for state funding necessary to fulfill building projects. For fiscal year 2025, the Department of Education approved 50 certificate of necessity requests, 44 of which involved state funding. They were concentrated in six districts. Districts submit certificates of necessity each year to the department, …

Delaware students are heading back to school.

Back to school: teacher raises, mental health help, funding

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

As First State public schools reopen next week, most students won’t see much difference in the day-to-day workings of the classroom. But there’s a lot going on in the background. Many districts will be adopting new science and math curriculums designed to help counter the state’s dismal test scores – and continue the battle against COVID-19 learning loss. More mental …

Faithful Friends Animal Society unveiled its new headquarters Thursday.

Faithful Friends: 50% more pets saved in 4 years with new HQ

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Health

Faithful Friends Animal Society is hoping to have the capacity to save 25% more animals in the next two years with its new headquarters, its founder said after a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday. “When we started Faithful Friends [in 2000], publicly-funded shelters in Delaware had a 90 percent kill rate, and today, Delaware is one of just three no-kill states in …

Districts across the state must implement science of reading aligned curricula by 2027-2028.

Indian River to spend $2.8M on science of reading curriculum

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

Indian River School District will spend $2.8 million on a  new science of reading curriculum expected to improve literacy rates and test scores but its school board took a shot at the state for mandating the move without providing money for it. The Sussex County school district serving 10,799 students will invest in a 5-year contract with Core Knowledge Language …

Colonial's first safety summit was held Tuesday.

Colonial safety summit stresses importance of communication

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

Parents have religiously attended school board meetings this year to share concerns about school safety, with incidents like guns in buildings, fights between children and vaping in bathrooms atop their list of worries. The Colonial School District on Tuesday night hosted a safety summit, featuring law enforcement, a constable and the district superintendent. Watch the full video of the summit …

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 …