Next 38th District Club Meeting TUESDAY 5/27th
- 38th District Republican Club
- May 22
- 10 min read
As we remember those who served to protect and defend our United States of America this Memorial Day, we recall that freedom was never and will never be free. We only live in the best nation in history due to the intelligent foresight of our founding fathers who gave us one of the most amazing gifts ever, our United States Constitution. And it is to this Constitution that our elected representatives take their oaths to support and defend. And it us up to us, WE THE PEOPLE, to make sure they uphold their oaths. Without the people, politicians cannot be what we need them to be, they will fall, and they will fail. And we have seen that happen, with the attacks from within by radical left progressive, socialist, divisive fringes of our society, who no longer can see truth and goodness, only their own and projected victimhood, who have reached too far to attempt to overtake and topple our wonderful nation. But just as one man, Donald J. Trump, left his place of comfort and luxury, to take on this ugly fight to combat corruption and iniquity, so must we, every single one of us, in our own small way, stand up and say NO, to that which is wrong and causes harm, and YES to stand up for what is RIGHT, good and compassionate for all.
So please everyone, enjoy this upcoming holiday, our Memorial Day weekend, enjoy your friends, family, neighbors, and our annual visitors, as we begin our summer season here. Here's to celebrating 250 years of our wonderful nation, only made possible by those who defended her, abroad or at home, and to all who continue to defend her, may God be with you, and with God's grace, here's to 250 more years to come!
Next 38th Club Meeting TUESDAY, May 27th, 6:30pm
As our regularly scheduled 38th District Republican Club meeting falls on Memorial Day this year, we will hold our meeting on TUESDAY, May 27th, at the Millville Community Center on Dukes Road, starting at 6:30pm. Topic: The IRSD June 5th Referendum and Delaware 250 with Sussex GOP Chair, Daniel Willis.
IRSD Referendum June 5
The Indian River School District will hold another funding increase Referendum on Thursday, June 5th, 7am to 8pm. This Referendum is identical to the last Referendum, an increase in property taxes of 37%. We will again need Poll Watchers on this day to assist voters to understand who can and who cannot vote, and observe the process. It is only by having an actively engaged citizenry that we can maintain our rights and freedoms and a fair process for all. Please email here if you can be a Poll Watcher info@38thdrcp.com.
Referendum Ad in Coastal Point
In order to better inform the public, the 38th has put out a series of factually based, researched and vetted informational ads in the Coastal Point. Thank you for YOUR donations that made placing this ad possible. And because of this ad, dialogue has been initiated between the parties of concerned citizens and the school district. Shedding light on a matter is never a bad thing. It is only through an informed citizenry that true change for the better can occur. Thank YOU for your commitment to that!
Email Comments Regarding the Referendum and 38th Responses
Comment: While I agree with all the information in the ad, what seems a bit disingenuous is the withholding of other facts that are out of the District's control:
Inflation has hit the District just as it has hit everyone - insurance increases, electric costs have increased, school lunch/food costs have increased, etc.
38th Reply: From 2022 to 2025, inflation averaged 3% annually, yet IRSD's revenue rose by nearly 9% each year, driven by ongoing housing growth in the district. Each new house contributes school taxes, despite a minimal rise in student numbers. With thousands more houses planned for construction in the coming years, IRSD has not factored in this additional income, although recent trends suggest that few of these homes will include school-aged children.
Comment: The District is required to pay for services that are legislated from the federal government AND the state regarding the immigrant students in classes that do not speak English - this is totally out of the District's control. They have to pay out money for costs that they have no control over: extra employees/paras to translate. The testing of these students runs into days and days, and, of course, are administered by teachers (more resources). Many of these families do not pay into the property tax system, which severely impacts the revenue for the District.
The District is required to pay to pay for services that are legislated from the federal government AND the state regarding the special education students - this is totally out of the District's control. They have to pay out money for costs that they have no control over: extra employees/paras, extra testing, extra academic support/teachers, etc.
38th Reply: The School Board should, and perhaps already does, engage in discussions with the State School Board and Delaware General Assembly when the State imposes services and testing that are unsuitable for our school districts or when IRSD cannot afford these mandates. We are uncertain if the IRSD Board has approached the State to request additional funds to support these State and Federal mandates. This suggested "push back" from the Board and the community might be more appropriate during one of the Public IRSD Board meetings. However, the Referendum on June 5th is set for a vote and is not intended for discussion or brainstorming.
Comment: The District must also provide services to transport students through McKinney Vento (which no one ever mentions); costs for special ed services that continually increase (testing, behavioral support, etc.), as well as a lawyer to support the District.
Though some of these costs are covered by the federal dollars the District receives - it never actually covers ALL the costs incurred by schools - extra time from teachers, administer, discipline, academic needs, etc.
38th Reply: These costs associated with education mentioned are not new and have been included in the budget for years. The state covers unit costs for each student, with higher amounts allocated for those with special needs. With over $20,000 available per student, the district should be able to operate without increasing taxes. Additionally, our student-to-teacher ratio in IRSD is 13:1, compared to 14:1 in Delaware as an average, and an even higher national average, indicating we have the necessary quantity of teachers.
Perhaps what we should be questioning is what actions the school administration has taken to reduce wasteful or inefficient spending. They have not disclosed any initiatives in this area that we are aware of. Instead, the June 5 Referendum is requesting an increase in taxes and to add more expenditures. Many would appreciate seeing more efforts to cut down on wasteful spending.
Comment: The District is mandated to administer the SATs to EVERY STUDENT - regardless of the students' desire to take it or their intentions for college. Though the State provides some funding, resources are used to administer the test (teachers), lost days of instruction to administer the SAT, use of resources/loss of instruction for makeup tests and staff to administer. Unfortunately, SAT scores for Delaware students ranked 47th from 2022 to 2024, averaging 948 (Coastal Point reported the 2022 scores). This time and money could be used more wisely, but, again, this is not the District's fault.
38th Reply: The reason for the lag in IRDS and Delaware schools is a lack of accountability. Delaware schools rank 48th out of 50 in performance, despite spending the 15th most per student. Every state faces similar issues as Delaware and IRSD, yet other states have managed to perform better while spending less. Simply increasing funding is not the solution, as it will not lead to improvements.
According to the Common Core of Data, American’s Public Schools, IRSD school administration is larger than average. Currently, IRSD has 10,743 students and 58 administrative positions, resulting in a ratio of 186 students per administrator. The national average is 230 students per one administrative position, indicating that IRSD has a higher number of administrative positions compared to other school districts nationwide. In Delaware, the average school district student to admin ratio is 170 students per administrative position. We aim to allocate more teachers and resources to the classroom rather than the administration office.
Comment: All in all, it doesn't all come down to just the dollars and test scores. When teachers are expected to achieve high test scores, but 65% of the District's students are Spanish-speaking, with many of those children not speaking any English, how are test scores supposed to increase? When teachers are expected to use curriculum the District/State mandates which doesn't actually work in the classroom (Vision Coalition strategies do not work), how are test scores supposed to increase?
38th Reply: As per the IRSD, currently the district has 10,820 students. Of that total, 2,785 are classified at Multilingual Learner (ML) students which is about 26% of our student population (not 65%). IRSD has over 20 countries represented in the ML population.
ML students are classified through responses to a home language survey. Once a student qualifies, they are not eligible to exit from ML services until they have reached proficiency on an assessment (WIDA ACCESS) that measures reading, writing, speaking and listening abilities.
Students who are new to the country, many with no, or limited, formal education, are classified as Newcomer ML students, and typically require the most services. Newcomers receive a one year grace period from the reading state assessment, but must take the math assessment.
This year we have 2,785 students receiving a range of ML services based on their English proficiency level. 315 ML students are in monitoring status (monitored academically for two years upon exiting services), and this year we have had 174 students fully exit ML services.
Out of our total student population, only 659 are classified as newcomers, which is about 6% of our total student population and about 24% of our entire ML population. This means 94% of our students are NOT ML newcomers and out of our ML population, 76% were born here in the United States. At the middle and high school level, this means that language is not the challenge and we should look at the individual student, as in most cases the student is a struggling reader.
Comment: Please reevaluate your approach to this issue - I get that perhaps the community needs to examine the work of the District's superintendent and financial manager, but overall - when referendums fail it is the teachers and students that pay the price - not the District leadership. Perhaps the resistance and push back needs to be focused toward the school board to make some changes in that regard.
38th Reply: Everyone residing in the district contributes to taxes, either through the rent they pay to a landlord who covers property taxes or directly by paying property taxes on their homes. Simply increasing funding isn't the solution; we need IRSD to prioritize student achievement, or future generations will face challenges competing in a global economy. Additionally, the most recent referendum election cost $51,000, so holding two Referendums will result in another $102,000 spent unnecessarily, when that money could have been allocated towards better educational resources.
Please bring up these concerns with your school administration at the upcoming School Board meetings. Our community must advocate for our children's education, not just provide larger financial contributions.
DE GOP App
YOU can continue to share the information that there will be a Referendum on June 5th and it is vital to do so as so many are still completely unaware that this vote will take place. Please go into the Delaware Republican Party app, select "Send Text" and a list of your Republican neighbors near you will be listed. You may share this simple message:
"IRSD Referendum Vote June 5, please vote! 37% increase in property taxes. Questions? Email info@38thdrcp.com 38thdrcp.com "
Polling Locations
You may vote at any of the following polling locations for the June 5th Referendum between 7am and 8pm.
East Millsboro Elementary School
Georgetown Elementary School
Indian River High School
Long Neck Methodist Church
Lord Baltimore Elementary School
Millville Community Center
Selbyville Fire Hall
Sussex Central High School
Can YOU be a Poll Watcher on June 5th at any of the above locations? We need YOU!! Email info@38thdrcp.com
Next 38th Club Meeting TUESDAY, May 27th, 6:30pm
Please plan to attend our 38th District Republican Club meeting on TUESDAY, May 27th, Millville Community Center on Dukes Road, starting at 6:30pm. Topic: The IRSD June 5th Referendum.
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Do you want to get more involved locally? The 38th District includes Bethany Beach, South Bethany, Fenwick Island, Ocean View, Millville, Selbyville and Frankford. YOU can make a difference! Email info@38thdrcp.com for more information. Also, sign up for the State GOP e-Newsletters here.
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Upcoming Meetings
Sussex GOP Region Meeting, Monday, June 9th, 6:30pm, Millsboro Fire Hall
38th Club Meeting, Tuesday, May 27th, 6:30pm, Millville Community Center
Delaware State GOP Convention, June 6-7, 2025
We welcome your support as we support conservative values and responsible government.
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.
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