SUSSEX COUNTY, Del.- For the second time the referendum for the Cape Henlopen School District has failed at the ballot box. Of the 8,786 total votes cast, 53 percent of people (4,628) voted against the referendum while just 47 percent of people (4,133) voted for the referendum. These are considered to be unofficial results at this time but the margin of victory appears clear.
For the district, this is a major setback to their plans of purchasing over 102 acres of land off of Cedar Grove Road, moving and constructing a new district office on this new property, and adding a transportation facility.
The district posted a reaction on Cape Henlopen School District's facebook page that reads: "We are extremely disappointed in the results and will take some time over the next few weeks to determine both short-term and long-term plans moving forward."
Tuesday night's results were much closer than the results in the first round of the referendum vote. The first round of this referendum in March was voted down with 70 percent of ballots against the changes. In that initial effort, the referendum included money for the construction of an indoor pool. For this second attempt, that funding and the corresponding taxes for it, had been stripped out.
However, some voters on Tuesday seem skeptical. Charlie Macklin of Lincoln tells CoastTV "We sure don't need a pool and if this goes through the pools off the ticket now. But if this goes through - the pool will be right back on it - I guarantee it. And what I'm wondering - if they vote it down again, will the school come back again with it?"
What happens next remains unclear. The student population is still expected to grow significantly in coming years and part of the goal of this referendum was to give the district room to expand if need be.
The school district was turned down earlier this year by the state for help with funding, so the projects the district wants to pursue would need to be funded solely from local taxes.
According to Cape, had the referendum passed, the tax impact would have been a phased increase over three years:
- Year 1 – The increase will be 30.5 cents for the operating expenses, and then that will stay the same moving forward.
- Year 2 – Cape will add in part of the debt service increase which would be 2.3 cents.
- Year 3 – An additional 6.3 cents for debt services will be added to bring the total increase to 39 cents, which is $109 for the average assessed home.
To see the unofficial election results, click here.
