Information Meeting

Appoquinimink School District

Appoquinimink Referendum Why are we here?

Our district held a referendum in February but the initiative did not pass

We reached out to friends, and more importantly, critics for their feedback

More than 100 people shared their time and ideas in March

What you told us - tough economic times meant we needed to scale back the scope of our request

Appoquinimink Referendum Why are we here?

Working together, we reached consensus on a new proposal

a 15-cent increase/$100 assessed property value that is roughly half the amount originally requested.

It will raise $2.79 million for critical academic needs but does include some sacrifice.

We will hold a second referendum vote on Thurs., May 9 and hope to use this presentation to secure your support.

Appoquinimink Referendum Why does the district need to raise taxes? The state has been reducing the level of financial support it

provides to schools and districts since 2008.

Appoquinimink has lost $4.03 million in annual funding, which includes priorities like: student transportation, school safety and discipline, technology funds, reading and math specialists, teacher training, and more.

The number of students we serve is still growing, but at a much slower rate (2%) that can’t offset the cuts.

Faced with more students, less money, and no way to generate revenue, we have been drawing from our reserves (savings) and cutting costs wherever possible.

Appoquinimink Referendum Why does the district need to raise taxes?

We have reached a crossroads - the reserves have been depleted and can no longer cover anticipated expenses for the next school year. We must meet the minimum reserve level (2 payrolls) required in Delaware

Schools or the state will impose oversight/involvement and remove local control of decision-making.

It is important to note that our district has not reached this point because of mismanagement or excess. We would not be here if we had not endured massive state cuts that impact our ability to operate.

After a failed referendum, we worked together with opposition organizers to find common ground.

The result is our current proposal – which asks voters to approve an increase of 15-cents/$100 assessed property value.

Appoquinimink Referendum Where did we find the savings needed to reduce the referendum?

CUTS/REDUCTIONS TO BEGIN IN 2013-14

Two schools will be closed next year, saving $645,000 The Appoquinimink Early Childhood Center

We anticipate reopening in Fall 2014 as a PK Center.

Townsend Elementary School We anticipate reopening in Fall 2014. If the referendum does not pass, the school

could remain closed even longer.

ALL School Budgets will be reduced by 8% next year Impacts instructional supplies, teaching aids, software and other non-salary

expenses.

Principals will identify areas for reduction after fall enrollment becomes clear.

Appoquinimink Referendum Where did we find the savings to reduce the referendum?

CUTS/REDUCTIONS TO BEGIN IN 2013-14

Safety/Discipline budget cuts Bus camera installation will remain uncompleted.

PK-8 Counselors and K-12 Nurses no longer provide a schedule of limited summer services.

Chinese discontinued in Middle School

Talent Development Program eliminated

Parents Academy programs eliminated

More teacher/staff training and support eliminated

Summer maintenance program for schools scaled back

We have budgeted to meet the minimum state requirement for funding our reserve instead of a more aggressive attempt to address long-term needs.

Appoquinimink Referendum And don’t forget…

THESE MAJOR COST SAVING MEASURES ALREADY ENACTED

29 staff positions eliminated in the last 2 years 5 state-earned administrative positions left unfilled so these units

could be “cashed in” to pay for substitute teachers in the classroom Bus routes consolidated with kindergarteners joining elementary

school students on campus routes (result: longer ride times, more students/bus)

Common Core textbook purchases deferred New textbooks are needed to align instructional support to the Common Core

state standards adopted by Delaware.

Technology replacement program deferred This impacts our ability to replace/refurbish outdated student computers,

or complete classroom installation of SmartBoards and other technology.

Appoquinimink Referendum Now that you know why we need a referendum, it’s time to talk about what is at stake for our community.

Whether you have a child attending school in the Appoquinimink School District or not, this referendum is a reflection of our community values – the things we feel are vital components to the overall character of our local society.

By passing a referendum, these activities will continue to be available to an entire generation of our youth and will inspire and challenge them on their path to maturity and success in the future.

Appoquinimink Referendum What’s at stake if this referendum fails?

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS Class sizes will grow 25-30% in Grades 1-3

Classrooms will increase from 22 to 28 students per teacher. Class sizes for Grades 4-5 were already increased last year and mirror these numbers.

World Languages will be eliminated in Elementary School Language is a natural acquisition process that becomes more difficult as children get older.

All district-funded extracurricular activities will be eliminated Activities that supplement the learning environment, like: Odyssey of the Mind,

Special Olympics, Drama, the School Newsletter and Yearbook will be discontinued.

Safety/Discipline will be reduced Support staff are already minimal in our elementary schools but full-time paraprofessionals who assist with

school discipline and safety (“interventionists”) will be eliminated as will lunch aides (who are part-time). Interventions like PBS and mentoring that reach all students, but are particularly important for at-risk youth in

our schools, will be lost.

School and Classroom budgets will be reduced If the referendum passes, ALL school budgets will be cut 8%.

If the referendum does not pass, the cuts will increase to 10%.

Classroom assessment tool will be lost Funding for Measures of Academic Progress (Gr. K-2 assessment) will be discontinued.

Appoquinimink Referendum What’s at stake if this referendum fails?

MIDDLE SCHOOLS ALL district-funded Extracurricular Activities will be eliminated

Activities that supplement the learning environment: Science Olympiad, Math League, National Junior Honor Society, Drama Club, Yearbook, Odyssey of the Mind, Model U.N., and after school Band and Chorus practice will be discontinued.

Intramural sports for boys and girls: Soccer, Basketball, Volleyball, Field Hockey, Flag Football provide a supervised, healthy outlet and allow every child to participate.

After-school Activity Buses will be discontinued Students who have been invited to stay after school for extra help from teacher volunteers will no longer have the benefit

of transportation home. (A large percentage of Middle School students who use afterschool buses do so in order to take advantage of after-school academic support.)

Safety/Discipline will be reduced We use schools’ behavioral data to develop interventions and strategies that instill respect, responsibility and safety – an

initiative called Positive Behavior Support. Staffing for this program, and a mentoring program aimed at students who are at-risk will be eliminated.

School and Classroom budgets will be reduced If the referendum passes, ALL school budgets will be cut 8%.

If the referendum does not pass, the cuts will increase to 10%.

Appoquinimink Referendum What’s at stake if this referendum fails?

HIGH SCHOOLS Freshman and Junior Varsity Sports Teams will be eliminated

Freshman Sports to be discontinued: Football, Soccer, Volleyball, Baseball, Softball. Junior Varsity (JV) Sports that would be discontinued: Football, Soccer, Cheerleading, Field Hockey, Volleyball,

Basketball, Wrestling, Baseball, Softball, Lacrosse. These programs provide a pipeline for skill development to 550+ students, allowing them to participate and grow

through sport. Studies demonstrate that better grades and a higher graduation rate accompanies involvement in HS sports. Further, they enable us to field competitive teams at the state level. This ensures that our students get more and better access to scholarships, awards and admittance to colleges and universities.

Other popular district-funded activities will be lost The Fall Play, the International Club, and Virtual Peace Corps will no longer be offered.

We will discontinue funding for a 9th Grade Class Advisor.

Safety/Discipline/Guidance will be reduced The Dean of Students, who provides oversight, mediation and correction to behavioral and safety issues (ex.

truancy, bullying, vandalism, disobedience) will be cut. We will lose PBS and mentoring programs aimed at helping students stay in school and achieve their academic

potential.

School and Classroom budgets will be reduced If the referendum passes, ALL school budgets will be cut 8%.

If the referendum does not pass, the cuts will increase to 10%. These allocations are used for instructional materials that reflect the individual need of each school.

Appoquinimink Referendum What’s at stake if this referendum fails?

DISTRICT-WIDE

Should the referendum fail, program and classroom reductions will be accompanied by a large reduction in our workforce. A total of 36 full-time and 9 part-time positions will be lost, with the majority coming from the ranks of our newest teachers.

28 FT teachers + 8 additional FT staff + 9 PT staff

Appoquinimink Referendum What will your investment look like? The best way to show you is to demonstrate using live data.

STEP ONE: Find the school taxable assessed value of your home. Go to http://www3.nccde.org/parcel/search/ or your county tax bill.

STEP TWO: Take that dollar amount and enter it into the district’s tax calculator feature found at http://www.apposchooldistrict.com/tax_calc.jsp.

The assessed value is typically 25-35% of your home's sale price. Note: Tax shown is the increase over your current tax amount, it is not a cumulative increase

from year to year.

Here’s how to calculate cost the old fashioned way o Divide the tax assessment value of your home by 100. o Take the resulting number and multiple it by $0.15 (Taxes will increase by $0.15/$100.) o The answer represents what your increase will be.

Example: A home that sold for $300,000 was assessed for property taxes at $90,000 (30% of the sale price). To calculate the tax increase, divide 90,000 by 100 = 900. Multiply 900 x $0.15. The answer is $135. In other words, the annual tax on this home would increase by $135/year if the referendum is approved. For information on the tax assessment value of your home, contact the Department of Land Use for New Castle County at (302) 395-5555.

Appoquinimink Referendum Please Vote: Thursday, May 9 from 10:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.

Official Polling Places (not every school, but every campus) --Alfred G. Waters Middle --Brick Mill Elementary --Bunker Hill Elementary --Everett Meredith Middle --Louis L. Redding Middle --Marion E. Proffitt Training Center --Middletown High --Old State Elementary --Olive B. Loss Elementary --Silver Lake Elementary --Townsend ECC --Carvel State Office Building in Wilmington

Eligibility School District resident, 18 or older and a citizen of the USA and Delaware Bring proof of identification (Driver’s license or State ID) You do not need to be a property owner You do not need to be a registered voter You can vote at ANY of the polling places listed above Information and forms for Absentee Voting (requires an affidavit be submitted)

can be found on the Department of Election’s website http://electionsncc.delaware.gov or by calling (302) 577-3464.

Appoquinimink Referendum Please help us spread the news Encourage your friends and neighbors to attend a presentation

Talks are happening daily, M-Th at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Locations are posted on our website, in ASD’s electronic newsletter,

and advertised weekly in the Middletown Transcript. OR call 376-4101 to schedule a presentation for your group.

Keep abreast of the latest referendum updates by reading the Appoquinimink Bulletin our new electronic newsletter.

Browse our website, http://www.apposchooldistrict.com where you’ll find plenty of great information under the yellow REFERENDUM key.

If you have additional questions, feel free to contact one of these experts:

Superintendent Matt Burrows, matthew.burrows@appo.k12.de.us Finance Director Chuck Longfellow, chuck.longfellow@appo.k12.de.us Board President Julie Johnson, julie.johnson@appo.k12.de.us Referendum Co-Chair Jacqualine Ridgley, powerhouse1913@gmail.com Referendum Co-Chair Michael Wagner, michael.wagner7@comcast.net

Appoquinimink Referendum TUES., APRIL 23 AM: 11-12 Noon Middletown Library 651 North Broad Street

PM: 7-8 PM Bunker Hill Elementary 1070 Bunker Hill Road WED., APRIL 24 AM: 11-12 Noon Corbit-Calloway Library 2nd and High Streets

PM: 7-8 PM Everett Meredith Middle 504 South Broad Street THURS., APRIL 25 AM: 11-12 Noon Middletown Library 651 North Broad Street

PM: 7-8 PM Olive B. Loss Elementary 200 Brennan Blvd., Bear

MON., APRIL 29 AM: 11-12 Noon Townsend Fire Company 107 Main Street

PM: 7-8 PM Alfred G. Waters Middle 1235 Cedar Lane Road TUES., APRIL 30 AM: 11-12 Noon Middletown Library 651 North Broad Street

PM: 7-8 PM Everett Meredith Middle 504 South Broad Street WED., MAY 1 AM: 11-12 Noon Corbit-Calloway Library 2nd and High Streets

PM: 7-8 PM Louis L. Redding Middle 201 New Street

THURS., MAY 2 AM: 11-12 Noon Middletown Library 651 North Broad Street

PM: 7-8 PM Old State Elementary 580 Tony Marchio Drive MON., MAY 6 AM: 11-12 Noon Townsend Fire Company 107 Main Street

PM: 7-8 PM Townsend ECC 10 Brook Ramble Lane TUES., MAY 7 AM: 11-12 Noon Middletown Library 651 North Broad Street

PM: 7-8 PM Everett Meredith Middle 504 South Broad Street

WED., MAY 8 AM: 11-12 Noon Corbit-Calloway Library 2nd and High Streets

PM: 7-8 PM Alfred G. Waters Middle 1235 Cedar Lane Road THURS., MAY 9 AM: 11-12 Noon Middletown Library 651 North Broad Street

PLEASE COME OUT AND VOTE

Appoquinimink Referendum Is there relief for seniors? YES, the Town of Middletown, New Castle County and the State of Delaware all offer tax relief programs for Senior Citizens.

$500 State School Tax Credit Adults, 65 and older, are entitled to a credit of 50% of their school taxes, up to $500, provided

they meet the state’s minimum 3-year residency requirement. To qualify, complete a School Tax Credit Application and return it to the New Castle County Assessment Office by April 30.

State of Delaware School Tax Credit Application

County Exemptions for 65+ or Disability - Please apply! Many seniors qualify for significant, additional reductions in their property taxes. Please

investigate the Over-65 Exemption Application and the Disability Exemption information on the County’s website.

Over 65 Exemptions (Real Estate and Mobile Home) Disability Exemptions (Real Estate and Mobile Home)

Town of Middletown Seniors' Tax Exemption The Town of Middletown offers its own property tax exemption to seniors who have resided

inside the incorporated limits of the Town of Middletown for at least a year. Apply in person prior to July 1, and bring a valid form of I.D.

Middletown Property Tax Exemption Application