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Christina School District holds referendum vote Tuesday

Delaware Public Media

It’s decision day for residents of the Christina School District.

They head to the polls Tuesday to vote on a tax referendum that would bolster the district’s operating budget.

If approved, the referendum would raise taxes in three steps over three years.  In year one, the average property owner would see their tax bill go up nearly $154. The average tax bill would jump another $32 in each of the folllowing two years.  That totals about $218 over three years- or around $19 a month.

The increase would give the district a little more than $19 million in new revenue over the full three years, $13.5 million for the upcoming school year and $2.8 million in 2020-21 and 2021-22.

District officials say the new money would pay to maintain all current programs for three more years, provide a cushion for pay increases anticipated in the next round of union contract negotiations, and cover the cost of a new arts and innovation magnet program at Newark High School.

Christina needed three tries to pass its last referendum, which finally gained approval in March 2016.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at locations through the district. Locations can be found at the Christina School District’s website.

Delaware Public Media contributor Larry Nagengast recently took an in-depth look at the referendum and the implications should it fail for The Green.

Tom Byrne has been a fixture covering news in Delaware for three decades. He joined Delaware Public Media in 2010 as our first news director and has guided the news team ever since. When he's not covering the news, he can be found reading history or pursuing his love of all things athletic.
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