North New Castle News

The Christina School Board has announced their June 9 referendum rate. 

According to NewarkPostOnline.com, the rate setting occurred after the district’s referendum failed in 2019. This new referendum will accomplish a number of things, including increasing school taxes, permitting the district to accept $10 million in debt in order to help the expansion of Downes Elementary and to improve the Newark High auditorium and other restoration and renovation measures. 

Voters will need to approve the referendum in order for these improvements to come to the district, however.

For individuals concerned about the impact to their wallets, the passed referendum would result in a tax increase of $290 over the coming three years.

Voters will be asked to decide if they will accept a tax hike which would be used to compensate for utility bills and other recurring costs for the operating referendum. The capital referendum will result in the district borrowing a sum of money for the bigger renovations.

Delaware’s law states that school districts are not permitted to raise taxes without passing a referendum that is approved by voters; historically schools have had a referendum every three to five years to compensate for inflation, increasing labor costs and common increases that take place. 

If this referendum is approved, the voters will see that there will be a 29-cent increase per $100 of property value in 2020, followed by an additional five-cent hike in 2021 and 2022. Another additional five-cent increase, if implemented, will be used to purchase a new English Language Arts curriculum to help students keep up with standards.

“The materials will give students the opportunity to engage in high-interest texts for whole and small group instruction,” Christina spokeswoman Alva Mobley told the Newark Post. “Materials would be differentiated, culturally diverse, and allow students to see themselves as readers and writers in the 21st century.”

Finally, there is a third matter which would allow the district to borrow money to finish a number of projects — estimated to cost $11.4 million — and pay off bonds.