CAPE HENLOPEN SCHOOL DISTRICT, Del. - Despite holding a second referendum on May 21st, after the previous one failed to move forward in March, the Cape Henlopen School District was not able to successfully convince taxpayers to vote in favor of a new tax rate. According to the district's unofficial results, 4,628 people voted against the new tax rate, while 4,133 voted for it.
Tom Iarossi, who lives in Lewes, says he is very disappointed to see the referendum fall through.
"I'm a huge believer in public education, I think public education at all levels is an investment in our society, we all benefit from having an educated population, and when a school is deprived of the resources it needs, I think it shorts out students, and then it shorts out society too," said Iarossi.
CoastTV spoke to some property owners who were concerned how much the referendum would actually cost them once Sussex County's reassessment project is complete.
Ken Klipper, who also lives in Lewes, says,
"I wonder if the fact that it's a pretty high percentage of senior citizens and retired people that don't have small children living around here, and they didn't want to see the beginning of their taxes to increase, but "the better the schools are the better the property value," said Klipper.
This is a major setback to the district's plans for purchasing over 102 acres right off of Cedar Grove Road. The goal there was to build a new district office and transportation station.
In response to the referendum falling through, the district says, "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."
According to the district, enrollment issues continue to be the main reason more funds are needed. Cape Henlopen School District enrollment has grown from 4,150 students in 2001 to 6,645 students as of Spring 2024. The district says population studies predict enrollment will continue to increase significantly over the next 10 years.