The IRSD Superintendent, Dr. Owens, will be speaking at our upcoming 38th District Republican Club meeting on Tuesday, February 25th. I can tell you now, that many people support this referendum and the resulting increase in property taxes to fund it, believing it benefits our children. However, they may not fully understand the purpose of the referendum and how the additional funds will be used, namely the funds will be used for teacher salaries and extra-curricular activities, not improving scholastic performance.
Additionally, many voters are unaware of how inadequately our schools are preparing students, as IRSD has some of the lowest performance scores in reading and math nationwide, despite having some of the highest spending per student.
To prepare for our meeting with Dr. Owens, please review these short explanatory videos produced by the IRSD, which explain the referendum, property assessments, and fund allocation. My first question might be, how much did these infomercials cost?
For our meeting on Tuesday, please have your questions ready in advance. Members will be able to ask questions individually from a podium. Here are some questions that have already been submitted:
1. What is the current ratio of students to administrators in IRSD and how does in compare to other school districts,
2. What is the current ratio of students to teachers in IRSD, and how does it compare to other school districts
3. How much does IRSD spend per student? (Please include all sources of revenue, state, federal and local)
4. What specific actions have been taken to address waste, fraud and abuse of IRSD budget funds.Â
5. Have IRSD budgets ever been audited? If so, when? And what were the results.
You can also submit questions directly to IRSD here: Â referendum@irsd.k12.de.us.
Meeting Date Changed
The upcoming meeting of the 38th District Republican Club will now take place on TUESDAY, February 25th, at 6:30pm, at the Millville Community Center. We rescheduled our 38th Club meeting to Tuesday to allow our guest speaker, the IR School District Superintendent, Dr. Owens, to address our group regarding the upcoming IR School District referendum vote to be held on March 20th.
Indian River School District Referendum
The Indian River School District will hold a Current Expense Referendum on Thursday, March 20, 2025. The referendum will seek funding for increased operating costs and the recruitment and retention of staff. Â With voter approval, the referendum will result in a tax increase of $1.2105 per $100 of assessed property value, which correlates to an increase of $24.10 per month or $289.23 per year for the average district taxpayer.Â
The IR School District Superintendent, Dr. Jay Owens, will speak to us at our next Club meeting about the upcoming referendum, more specifically:
Why the referendum is needed and what does it involve
The impact to the taxpayers
County reassessment impact
IRSD Referendum Questions
Q: Have reductions in other budget areas been implemented to offset the deficit?
Q: Is the IR School District truly offering "premier educational services"? If that's the case, why are most of our students not meeting grade-level standards?
(See IRSD data on the DOE site: )
42.26% proficient in English language arts
35.58% proficient in Mathematics
Q: How does the compensation package for IR School District compare to other teaching and non-teaching salaries in Sussex County?
Q: Is there an initiative to employ professionals who do not possess a specific teaching degree, enabling highly educated and experienced individuals to teach in schools? Since there is not, when might this be revised to ensure our students have access to the most experienced and educated teachers?
Q: What happens to ineffective educators? Are they given guidance or have their pay reduced due to students' poor performance? If we reward top teachers, are there repercussions for those who perform the worst?
Q: Regarding a national teacher shortage, what is the percentage of vacant teaching positions at IR School District? How does IR rank compared to the rest of Delaware and the nation with vacant teaching positions?
Q: How will IR School District address the situation if the referendum does not pass to prevent operating with a deficit budget? What strategies will you implement to manage the budget deficit?
Q: If you believe our schools are delivering "excellent services", why are students underperforming? At Indian River school district, 42.26% are proficient in English Language Arts, and 35.58% are proficient in Mathematics, yet 80% are considered college and career ready. How many are truly admitted to a four-year college? Is there any information on average SAT scores?
Q: Regarding IR School District hasn't raised taxes since 2017, how frequently do you anticipate that IR School District will or should propose a tax increase, and what are the future projections?
Q: IRSD is among the districts that have completely adopted the Science of Reading, and their overall assessment scores are slightly above average. Is it likely that more programs like this will be introduced to aid reading and math?
Q: Are you suggesting that if the referendum doesn't pass, the plan is to lay off teachers? Have there been reductions in administration salaries and positions?
Q: Given your suggestion that student services will be affected if the referendum fails, which specific student services do you anticipate will be impacted and in what ways?
Q: Might IR District contemplate reducing other programs, like sports, arts, or music, to preserve the essential math and reading curriculum?
Prepare to Vote Indian River School District Referendum
When:
Voting is on Thursday, March 20 from 7:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.
In the event of inclement weather, the referendum will be held on March 27.
Who Can Vote:
District residents who are U.S. citizens and at least 18 years of age are eligible to vote at any of the eight local polling places. Voter registration is not required, but residents must provide proof of identification or residency at each polling place.
Q: How do you prove U.S. citizenship? Non U.S. citizens may have proof of residency and may have proof of identification, such as a Delaware driver's license.
Where: Residents may vote at any of the eight polling places:
East Millsboro Elementary School
Georgetown Elementary School
Indian River High School
Long Neck Elementary School
Lord Baltimore Elementary School
Selbyville Middle School
Sussex Central High School
Millville Community Center (32517 Dukes Drive, Millville).
Absentee Ballots
Absentee ballots may be requested via U.S. Mail until noon on Friday, March 14. In-person absentee voting is available at the Department of Elections Sussex County Office until noon on Wednesday, March 19. Request for Absentee Ballot forms are available at all district schools. For more information, contact the Department of Elections Sussex County Office at (302) 856-5367 or via email to: absenteesc@delaware.gov.
Questions Re the Referendum:
For more information about the referendum, contact Indian River’s Referendum Hotline at (302) 436-1079 or visit the district’s special referendum web site. Questions can also be sent via e-mail to referendum@irsd.k12.de.us.Â
Additional Referendum Informational Meetings
In case you miss this informative meeting with the IR School District Superintendent, there will be three other opportunities to learn more about the upcoming referendum.
Monday, March 3 – Lord Baltimore Elementary School, 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, March 12 – Indian River High School, 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 13 – Sussex Central High School, 7:00 p.m.
Next 38th Republican Club Meeting
Please save the date and mark your calendar for our next Mighty 38th Republican Club Meeting for TUESDAY, February 25th, Millville Community Center, Dukes Road, Millville. Meet and greet at 6:00pm and meeting start at 6:30pm.
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This newsletter is intended for informational purposes only. The content provided is for general information and entertainment purposes, and should not be construed as professional advice. The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Club. Readers are encouraged to seek professional guidance or conduct their own research when making decisions based on the information provided in this newsletter. The Club does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information presented in this newsletter and will not be held liable for any errors or omissions. Website paid for by the 38th District Republican Club PAC and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.