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 …
Colonial, Red Clay biggest winners in state funding requests
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, …
Back to school: teacher raises, mental health help, funding
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: 50% more pets saved in 4 years with new HQ
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 …
Indian River to spend $2.8M on science of reading curriculum
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 safety summit stresses importance of communication
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 …
Want school tax exemption in Wilm? All 4 districts must OK it
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 …







