State denies funding for new school construction

Cape Henlopen School District officials say an operating budget referendum this spring is a strong possibility after the state denied funding for any new school construction projects for the upcoming year.

“From my standpoint, I can almost guarantee you we will be coming forward with at least a recommendation for a current expense referendum this spring,” said Superintendent Robert Fulton at the Nov. 14 school board meeting.

“We need to increase our operating money to continue to provide the same level of service that we do now for our students and our staff.”

Earlier this year, Fulton said the district submitted a proposal to the state for a slate of building projects that had been asked for in previous referendums. Both were defeated by voters.

The request included asking the state to foot 60% of the costs for an expansion of the high school for classroom space, a natatorium, and purchasing property to build a new district office and a transportation maintenance facility.

The bad news is that the state did not approve any new projects, he said. Only projects already approved in the pipeline will continue to receive state funding.

“Of all the submissions from many districts for new projects, zero were approved for state contribution this year,” Fulton said.

However, he said, the state did approve projects that would be 100% funded by the district – district office, additional purchase property for the district office, the transportation facility and the natatorium.

“We have some decisions to make over the next month or so,” he said. “I’m very disappointed about the high school, knowing our needs and the space concerns that we have. The last thing we want to do is start placing modular classrooms in the lawn on Kings Highway, but that’s the next step here.”

Earlier this year, the district asked residents to approve two building referendums with current expense increases, which were both defeated.

A March referendum asked residents to pay a tax increase of 21 cents per $100 of assessed property for a $78.6 million project that included building a $36 million natatorium, and buying a 102-acre property along Cedar Grove Road for a new district office, a bus maintenance and parking facility. Voters rejected the building proposal and a request to raise taxes 33 cents per $100 of assessed property for operating expenses. Officials had said the average homeowner would have paid an extra $154 per year.

District officials took the natatorium out of the mix for a second referendum in May, which was again defeated by voters.

This time, residents rejected an 8.6 cent increase for debt service that would have paid for the remaining building projects, and also rejected a 30.5 cent increase for current expenses.