Delaware's 2024 school board elections are Tuesday, May 14.

19 to compete for 8 seats in May 14 school board elections

Jarek RutzEducation, Headlines

In a light year for school board races, 19 candidates are vying for eight open seats across eight of the state’s 19 school districts. This year’s election is Tuesday, May 14, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Last year, 43 candidates ran for 23 vacancies across 16 school districts. In 2022,  42 candidates competed for 19 open …

Bradley Layfield

Layfield hearing: Employees say he was jovial showing video

Jarek RutzEducation, Headlines

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 …

Want to better understand child’s testing scores? Here’s help

Betsy PriceEducation, Headlines

If you are a parent of a school-aged child and worried about your child’s test results, make an appointment with your principal to discuss them. Don’t contact the child’s teacher or school counselor, said Theresa Bennett, director of the Delaware Department of Education’s Office of Assessment. “Each school is different in how they handle you know parent concerns,” she said. “Sometimes …

Here’s how to help children get ready to return to school 

Jarek RutzEducation, Headlines

Most of the 19 school districts in the First State kick off their academic year the week of August 28, and there’s several ways families can ensure their children have a smooth transition back to the classroom. “Parents should slowly start to wean their kids back to go to bed earlier so they wake up early,” said Bridget Amory, superintendent …

2023 Delaware school board election results

Jarek RutzEducation, Headlines

The preliminary results for the 2023 Delaware school board elections are in, and here are the winners: New Castle County Appoquinimink School District – Tashiba Graham (4.45% voter turnout) Christina School District – Douglas Manly, Y.F. Lou (2.95% voter turnout) Red Clay Consolidated School District – Jose Matthews, Aje English-Wynn (4.37% voter turnout) Kent County Caesar Rodney School District – …

Diwali is Hindu's festival of lights, a celebration lasting 5 days.

Delaware schools pushed to declare Diwali a holiday

Jarek RutzDelaware Live, Education, Headlines

A Hindu activist last week praised Brandywine School District as the first in Delaware to close so students could celebrate Diwali, the Hindu festival of light. Students will be off, but only because that is a day the district designated for parent-teacher conferences. Staff members will be working. In 2023, Diwali falls on a Sunday. But the system has not …

DOE’s new summer camp website includes lots of free options

Jarek RutzEducation, Headlines

  First State parents can help students can keep their minds active this summer by using a new website that includes hundreds of programs made available in Delaware’s “Summer of Opportunity.” The Department of Education this week announced its new website contains a database of 265 different camps and programs that will help families find school and community-based learning opportunities …

Conservatives marshal forces as school board elections near

Charles MegginsonEducation, Headlines

Republicans are going all in this year to support their candidates for school board elections that take place in three weeks.  The Delaware State Republican Party is sponsoring a “Super Saturday Day of Action” Saturday to encourage volunteers to meet candidates and help them campaign The right-wing Patriots of Delaware this week sent out an email saying “it’s time to …

a man and a woman sitting at a table

Contentious right-to-know school bill likely to fail in committee

Jarek RutzEducation, Headlines

  A bill that would require schools to publish information about what’s being taught and what materials are being used sparked a lively debate in committee. Photo by Unsplash.   For a hot second, it looked like a bill that would require schools to tell the public exactly what materials are being used for teaching, among other things, was going …

The UK variant of COVID-19 found in three people this month is one of many variants being tracked in the U.S.

State to mandate masks in all schools, state facilities; more rules to come

Charles MegginsonEducation, Headlines, Health

Delaware will require all school teachers, students and staff to wear masks indoors, even for sports.     Gov. John Carney said Tuesday that masks must be worn in all public, private and parochial schools, as well as childcare homes and centers for those over the age of 2.. Carney also said state employees and visitors to state facilities must …