DOVER, Del — A bill in the Delaware General Assembly aiming to lift enrollment and tax rate restrictions on Sussex Tech High School was passed in the House of Representatives with 39 votes "yes" and two "absent." It allows Sussex Tech to determine its own funding levels and student capacity.
House Bill 90, which is sponsored by Seaford's Daniel Short (R- District 39), would remove the current 29.5-cent tax rate cap per $100 of assessed property and eliminate the 1,450-student enrollment limit. Instead, future tax rates would be set by Sussex Tech, while enrollment capacity would be determined by the Delaware Department of Education’s Certificate of Need process.
The restrictions were originally put in place following concerns over administrative spending and salaries at Sussex Tech in 2014-15. In response, lawmakers passed measures to reduce the school’s student population from 1,550 to 1,250 by 2017-18 and lower the tax rate to 23.5 cents. A 2021 bill later raised the student cap to 1,450 and set the current tax limit.
The bill will go to the Education Committee in the Senate next.
