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What is the Christina School District's latest referendum ask?

Delaware Public Media

Christina School District residents will be able to vote on four proposals in the June 9 referendum: two for operating expenses and two for operating expenses. In both categories, the first proposal must be approved for the second one to be considered.

Here are the proposals.

Operating Expenses

Section 1 calls for an increase of 29 cents per $100 of assessed value starting July 1, and an additional 5 cents per $100 of assessed value  starting July 1, 2021 and July 1, 2022. Funds would be used to restore budget reductions made last year and reduce class sizes; maintain existing programs; upgrade and maintain technology; upgrade and maintain extracurricular activities; recruit and retain staff; cover necessary operating expenses (utilities and contracted services) and sustain operations affected by reductions in state funding. For a property assessed at $64,100, the district average, a successful vote would result in a tax increase of $185.99 in the first year, and an additional $32.05 in the second and third years.

Section 2, which would require passage of Section 1, calls for an increase of 5 cents per $100 of assessed value to provide funding for the district’s new elementary English Language Arts curriculum. For a property assessed at $64,100, the additional tax increase would be $32.05.

Capital Improvements

Section 3  seeks approval to issue more than $4.5 million in bonds to cover the district’s share of three renovation projects totaling more than $11.3 million: renovating the mechanical and electrical systems at the Christiana Early Education system and renovating the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems at Marshall and Leasure elementary schools. The bond issue would result in an estimated tax increase of six-tenths of a cent per $100 of assessed value, or $3.68 per year for a property assessed at $64,100. After two years, the district’s capital improvements tax rate would begin to decrease as previous bond issues are retired.

Section 4, which would require passage of Section 3, calls for issuing more than $5.5 million in bonds to pay for classroom renovations at Christiana High School ($2.25 million), construction of new classrooms for the Chinese language immersion program at Downes Elementary School ($2.24 million) and renovating the Newark High School auditorium for a new arts program ($1.04 million). Passage of both bond issues would result in an estimated tax increase of 1.22 cents per $100 of assessed value, or $7.82 per year for a property assessed at $64,100.

A tool to calculate the impact of the proposed tax increase on your property is available on this Christina School District web page.

Polls will be open Tuesday, June 9, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. A list of polling places is available here.

Larry Nagengast, a contributor to Delaware First Media since 2011, has been writing and editing news stories in Delaware for more than five decades.
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