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Indian River School District to hold referendum in March

Delaware Public Media

The Indian River School District will hold a tax referendum March 20 asking voters to boost funding to its schools.

It will be the district’s first referendum since 2017, partly due to federal funding the district received due to the pandemic.

If approved, the average district taxpayer would see a tax increase of $24.10 per month or $289.23 per year. The added revenue would be used to offset rising operating costs and for staff recruitment and retention.

Superintendent Jay Owens said the timing isn’t great as Sussex County is in the middle of a court-ordered property reassessment process, which could raise property taxes for some.

“We know this is a big ask, and it's a tough decision for people to vote to raise their taxes,” Owens said. “However, we want to continue to provide an excellent service to our community, and I think our schools are doing that.”

Tammy Smith, the district’s director of finance, said the reassessment will be revenue neutral.

“At the end of the day, putting the referendum aside, reassessment will not generate us any additional dollars,” Smith said.

The district provides for classroom needs as well as clubs, athletics, arts and bands, according to Owens.

“Without a strong workforce, then those things don't happen,” Owens said.

If the referendum passes, the new revenue will go toward staff recruitment and retention as well as offsetting rising operational costs.

Earlier this month, the Christina School District canceled its referendum because of the statewide property reassessment.

“We know this is a big ask, and it's a tough decision for people to vote to raise their taxes. However, we want to continue to provide an excellent service to our community, and I think our schools are doing that,” Owens said.

The district looks at its spending each year to see where it can save money. If voters decide against a tax increase, Owens said it will have to make some difficult decisions and make more drastic cuts.

With degrees in journalism and women’s and gender studies, Abigail Lee aims for her work to be informed and inspired by both.

She is especially interested in rural journalism and social justice stories, which came from her time with NPR-affiliate KBIA at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo.

She speaks English and Russian fluently, some French, and very little Spanish (for now!)