Smyrna School District’s school board candidates introduced themselves at a virtual forum Tuesday night.
First State Educate hosted the virtual forum attended by candidates Justine Flint and Charlotte Middleton. Aaron Weisenberger did not attend.
Flint grew up in Smyrna, attending Clayton Elementary and Smyrna High. She is currently an auditor for the Delaware Department of Education and has a doctorate in education.
“I believe in the educational system at Smyrna,” Flint said.
Middleton is a registered nurse who works in community health who also has a master’s degree in education.
“I've always wanted to be a part of the school board because I care about children,” Middleton said in her introduction. “I had children that have gone through the school system, and I just feel that the school system needs to improve, and I have a lot of great and fantastic ideas.”
Student proficiency was among the topics discussed. Statewide, English and math scores have been stagnant the last several years with state testing in 2024 showing 40 percent of students in grades 3-8 are proficient in English, while 33 percent are proficient in math.
Middleton said the school board should put more checkpoints in place to ensure reading proficiency by fourth grade.
“And if they don't meet the requirements of learning how to read, then they should not be moved to the fourth grade… The policy should be put in place where the focus is on kindergarten to third grade, where the student is learning how to read, read, read, read is important,” Middleton said.
Flint said she would work with the superintendent to develop an action plan.
“The board should conduct reviews of test scores,” Flint said. “You’ve got to have internal controls, whether that's every six months or every three months or every year. You have to pull the data, review the data, to make a judgment whether your goals are being met, and if your goals are not being met or the progress isn't showing that the goals are being met, then it's time to refocus, or time to pull it together and come up with another plan.”
Smyrna residents rejected an operational tax referendum last month, meaning schools will likely see cuts in programs, staffing and resources.
Flint said referendums have seen mixed success for the district, and she wants to see the district seek ways to diversify its funding sources by accepting private donations or community-driven fundraising where possible.
“I think that the referendum is okay for now, and that's what we've done in the past, but it's time for something new to hopefully raise funds,” Flint said.
Middleton concurred, adding it’s important for community members to be involved in education to deliver better outcomes.
“I think that it's important for the community to have some skin in the game, so that they can then have a voice and express to the school what they need and what they want,” Middleton said.
School board elections across the state, including the Smyrna School District, are on May 13.
