After wading through the process of school choice, Erin Exelby found herself woken up in the middle of the night worrying what would happen if her children were waitlisted from their top selections. School districts sent parents and children emails about a month ago saying whether they were accepted, denied or waitlisted for their preferred schools. Waitlisting essentially means that …
Sussex community vocalizes needs, hope for education
A few dozen parents of students, educators and concerned community members shared their frustrations with education in Delaware and hopes for the future during a town hall Wednesday night. The few students in the crowd received applause and praise from the crowd for caring enough to be involved in changing the status quo of a system still funded by an …
Dover Fan Zone adds DockDogs, Mirror Men and Robocars
Team mascots, diving dogs, bumper cars and a giant rubber duck will add to the merriment at the Dover Speedway’s Fan Zone April 26-28. Best part: It’s all free as the speedway hosts a NASCAR tripleheader weekend. “It’s not only the action on the track that makes a Dover NASCAR weekend a one-of-a-kind experience, but also all the entertainment outside …
Public Health seeks $3.5 million more in 2025 state budget
Editor’s note: This report has been updated to reflect that Medicaid is not overseen by Public Health The Delaware Division of Public Health wants a 2025 budget of $167.4 million, but about $3.5 million of that is not in the governor’s recommended budget. That puzzled the chair of the state Joint Finance Committee, which writes the state budget. It’s in …
Why Delaware is having the most school referendums in 14 years
The largest number of Delaware school districts in 14 years are holding elections in 2024 to ask their residents to agree to raise taxes for education. State and education leaders cite inflation, population growth, state-mandate raises for education, changes in funding and the COVID-19 pandemic as among reasons why six of the state’s 19 districts are making the case for …
School board members: Newly elected can have swift impact
School board members in their first term say parents who hesitate to run for school board should know that new members can make a difference right away. Don Patton was one of the drivers of Christina School District establishing a fresh method of evaluation for Superintendent Dan Shelton to hold him accountable for the district goals he sets each year. …
Layfield hearing: Employees say he was jovial showing video
GEORGETOWN — Ousted Sussex Central High School Principal ’s hearing Thursday to clear his name stretched into the mid-afternoon as person after person testified he seemed jovial at showing a video of a school fight in which a student’s breast was exposed. Layfield was fired by the Indian River School District after being accused of circulating the video of the …
Education groups costing ⅓ of state budget face JFC
Education – what one legislator called the most important investment by the state – consumed Wednesday’s Joint Finance Committee hearing for a category that makes up about one-third of the state’s $6 billion budget. Appearing in the morning before the committee that decided how and where the state’s budget will be spent was The Redding Consortium and the Wilmington Learning …
Marijuana laws come with price tag for 2 state departments
This story has been updated to correct tax and licensing information. Marijuana – and the implications of its legalization in Delaware on certain state agencies – was part of the discussion in Wednesday’s Joint Finance Committee hearings. The Department of Safety and Homeland Security is set to receive a little over $5 million of the total request is specifically in …
Cape Henlopen 6th district to hold tax hike vote; March 26
Cape Henlopen School District is the sixth district in Delaware to have a referendum this year in which residents will vote whether or not to raise local taxes. In total, the district is seeking a total of $83,647,000 of additional local revenue. This year’s referendum will take place Tuesday, March 26, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. …









