Why Should Delaware Care?
Delaware is one of just a few states that send school funding questions to voters through the referendum process. Just two districts are going out for a referendum this year amid potential threats from the Trump administration to pull federal education funding. Both the Smyrna and Indian River districts are looking to raise funds to better meet students’ needs and address the ongoing teacher shortage.
The Indian River and the Smyrna school districts are each asking their communities to approve local tax rate increases through referendum votes in the coming days.
The Smyrna School District will hold its referendum seeking $5.4 million on Saturday, March 15, from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.
The Indian River School District will hold its $22.3 million referendum on Thursday, March 20, from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.
Both districts aim to raise the money for their ongoing operations, including for retaining and recruiting educators.
The decisions to hold referendums comes after districts throughout the state have struggled to retain educators with competitive salaries amid an ongoing national teacher shortage.
Additionally, the threat of the federal government withholding federal dollars is weighing on districts after a recent Title IX complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Justice requested a termination of federal education dollars unless districts comply with President Donald Trump’s directive prohibiting transgender students from participating in girls’ sports.
The two districts’ referendum requests also coincide with the ongoing reassessments throughout the state.
Smyrna requesting $5.4M
Smyrna is requesting that voters approve a $5.4 million request, which the district says would go toward recruiting and retaining educators, enhancing school safety, improving technology to ensure that each student has access to a device, and purchasing new band uniforms.
Although the operating referendum aims to address a variety of concerns, 56% of the funds raised will go toward staff salaries to better compete with other districts. Teachers would receive a salary increase in both the first and second year, helping to push the district from the lowest tiers of pay in New Castle County.
If approved, the referendum would amount to roughly $23 per month on a home with an assessed value of $300,000 in Kent County or $70,500 in New Castle County – the latter reflects a market value of $300,000, but New Castle County is still finalizing its reassessment values.
This is the second year the district has gone out for a referendum. Smyrna’s failed referendum attempt in March 2024 aimed to raise around $5.5 million a year to hire constables, deliver mental health supports, and offer competitive salaries.
Its second referendum attempt in June 2024 passed by just 22 votes, allowing the district to build a new school, costing residents about an extra $1.44 per month.
All residents of the Smyrna School District are eligible to vote for the referendum. Voters have to be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years old, but do not have to own a home or have students in the district. Voters will need proof of address on the day of the polls, using a driver’s license, state ID card, passport or utility bill.
Polls will be open at Smyrna Elementary School, Smyrna Middle School, Clayton Intermediate School, Sunnyside Elementary School and the Kenton Ruritan Club.
First IRSD referendum in eight years
The Indian River School District is requesting $22.3 million for its referendum to address its increased operating costs and better recruit and retain educators.
If approved, the referendum would result in a tax increase of $1.2105 per $100 of assessed property value, but the tax increase could be lowered to $0.057 per $100 of assessed value to remain revenue neutral after Sussex County residents’ property values are reassessed and adjusted. The current district tax is about $3.23 per hundred, meaning the increase is about 37%.
The district hasn’t held a referendum since 2017, and currently has the lowest local district tax in Sussex County. Meanwhile, its operating expenses have increased an average of 7.4%, but revenue has increased by less than 4%, officials said. Those costs include areas like utilities, energy, and transportation, among others.
“That trend is not sustainable and the district has been in a position of deficit spending for the past two fiscal years. Passage of this referendum is imperative if we are to continue the premier educational services currently being provided to our students,” IRSD Superintendent Jay Owens said in a statement.
Although the referendum would help improve recruitment and retention efforts in the district, Indian River Board of Education members have said the district will need to have a reduction in force (RIF) or layoffs to cut costs – even if the referendum is approved.
Last week, meetings were scheduled throughout the district to discuss the “pre-referendum displacement” of some employees. According to the News Journal, 17 teachers and one paraprofessional make up the displacements.
The district claims that if the referendum does not pass, its deficit spending will increase, and it may have to eliminate a significant number of employees.
All residents of the Indian River School District are eligible to vote for the referendum. Voters have to be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years old, but do not have to own a home or have students in the district. Voters will need proof of address on the day of the polls, using a driver’s license, state ID card, passport or utility bill.
Polling places include East Millsboro Elementary School, Georgetown Elementary School, Indian River High School, Long Neck Elementary School, Lord Baltimore Elementary School, Selbyville Middle School, Sussex Central High School and the Millville Community Center.
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