What is the purpose of this referendum?
Why is it necessary to have a referendum when the economy is weak?
But are your projections accurate?
What is so special about this referendum?
Will this referendum build the entire campus?
When do you anticipate the completion of the rest of the campus?
What are the advantages of having so many schools on one campus?
How is it possible to do all of this without a tax increase?
How do we know funds from the previous referendums are being handled properly?
The schools that we have been building lately are very well appointed. Are we making our schools too elaborate?
What kind of school taxes are in Delaware?
I don?t have school-age children. Why should I vote for this referendum?
Will voting "no" to this referendum lower my taxes?
Is there relief for Seniors?
If the referendum passes, will there be another referendum? If so, when do you anticipate it?
How important is approval of the referendum to the operation and success of our school system?

What is the purpose of this referendum?

This referendum will allow us to do the following:

• Keep pace with the rapid growth we continue to experience in the Appoquinimink School District ? we have gained more than 1,500 students in the last three years.
• Provide the facilities needed to deliver quality, 21st Century instruction and meet high stakes accountability.
• We are asking for the following
  • A new elementary school
  • A new early childhood center
  • A new wing at Olive B. Loss Elementary to replace the trailers currently in use, and an expansion of the cafeteria and multipurpose room.
  • Renovation of older classrooms and the parent reception area at Townsend Elementary to create more useable space, with updates to the HVAC system for better energy efficiency.
  • Installation of a serving kitchen at the Appoquinimink Early Childhood Center to allow us to provide hot meals to our four and five-year olds.
  • Renovation of the auditorium at Everett Meredith Middle so that we no longer need to rent sound and light equipment to support student performances at the school.

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Even with the downturn, our district continues to experience significant growth. In 2007, we grew by 605 students; in 2008 by 511 students; in 2009 by 391 students. That is a total of 1,507 students in just three years!

These numbers confirm our projections and emphasize the need to plan for the future. Without new buildings, we will exceed our current capacity in grades PK-5 by the fall of 2011 - just two years away!

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Yes, our projections have been extremely accurate. We have been within 1% of our anticipated growth over the past 10 years. This year, enrollment reached 99.7% of our projection.

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We are in a position to build new schools without increasing taxes. NO NEW TAXES!

While this referendum will fund the construction of two new schools and four badly needed renovations, it also offers an opportunity to secure enough land to eventually build an entire PK-12 campus.

Initially, a portion of the property will be used to develop the two new schools described above. But later, as our enrollment increases, the land we "banked" will be developed with a middle and high school.

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No, this referendum will not build the entire campus - only Phase One - which includes an early childhood center and an elementary school and some of the initial infrastructure needed to support the schools and athletic facilities that will follow at a later date as needed.

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Phase One - the referendum we are asking you to support now - will be completed by 2011.

We anticipate that the rest of the campus - Phase Two - will be completed by 2015. Development will be addressed in a referendum tentatively scheduled for 2012/13 and would include a middle school, high school and - provided there was sufficient local support - an environmental center and an aquatics center. These last two facilities would serve ALL our Appoquinimink students.

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We realize true economies of scale with a campus. There are major savings in the price of purchasing the land and managing resources. It's an environmentally responsible approach as well. We develop one comprehensive footprint for roadways, parking and sewer which dramatically reduces our impact on the environment and other resources in our community.

Educationally, it allows our schools to work more collaboratively. Older students can mentor and tutor younger students, and younger students have role models to emulate.

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A combination of factors will enable us to issue bonds to fund the proposed 2009 referendum without raising taxes:

• We have been saving the "voluntary assessment" money (also known as impact fees) that we have been collecting from developers and will apply these funds to our local share of construction
• Our assessment base is growing. The new homes being built are helping to contribute toward the debt that was authorized in the 1980's and 1990's.
• We will be paying off some previously issued bonds and continue to pay down others, reducing our district's debt.
• The State of Delaware's bonds have received highest rating (Triple-A) from all major rating agencies since 2001, allowing us to borrow at relatively low rates.
• We are managing our money very effectively and maximizing interest earnings.

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We have monitored referendum spending very closely:

• Referendum expenditures are a part of the financial reports that are presented on a monthly basis at School Board Meetings. These sessions are open to the public, and the information detailed in these reports can be viewed by the community at any time.
• The state conducts its own independent audit of our capital and operating funds (including referendum projects) annually.
• We have a longstanding commitment to maintain a Citizen's Financial Advisory Committee. Community members review district financial matters on a monthly basis, including referendum spending.
• Last but not least, the volunteer referendum committee from our last district-wide effort has remained in place and has been kept up-to-date on how referendum money is being used.

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There is a state formula for funding schools, and our district has stayed within the limits of that formula. We've been able to get more for our money in recent years because the construction climate has been so good for the buyer.

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There are four kinds of school taxes in the state.

• Debt Service Taxes pay for major renovations, land purchase, or new construction; usually taking the form of selling long-term bonds - this is the category under which our referendum request falls
• Minor Capital Improvement Taxes pay for minor repairs to facilities and equipment and for the local funding matches for technology, extra-time programs and math/reading specialists as allowed by the state.
• Current Expense Taxes pay for general operation of schools, including text books, classroom supplies, utilities, activities and personnel.
• Tuition Taxes pay for services to children with special needs attending special schools in other districts or in our district's intensive learning centers.

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Good schools benefit everyone, even senior citizens. They make for safer communities, help to improve the value of real estate, and increase the quality of life. Nearly everyone is a product of a school system that was paid for by a previous generation.

Finally, please remember that there will be NO INCREASE in your taxes as a result of this referendum.

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While this referendum will not increase your taxes, the State of Delaware does offer tax relief for seniors. The first $32,000 of assessed property, if applied for, is exempt from taxation. Seniors may also qualify for reductions in sewer and property tax based on income. For more information, call the County at 395-5520. Note: Separate exemptions are available for Town of Middletown residents, 65 and older, living within town limits for at least one year.

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The major reason we can offer a No Tax Increase Referendum is the voluntary assessment we are collecting from developers. Those funds can only be used for construction-related growth. We could not use them to reduce taxes. Beyond that, there might be a slight reduction of taxes due to other factors, but it would be a very small decrease.

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This referendum meets our immediate need for an elementary school, an early childhood center, and some much-needed renovation/expansion work. As we said earlier, we expect the growth to continue, and with that will come a need for classrooms. We expect that there will be another referendum, potentially in 2012/13.

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It's crucial to keep ahead of the growth. We cannot permit crowded schools to interfere with our students' ability to learn. These improvements will ensure that our young people have the resources to achieve, succeed and meet the challenges of tomorrow.

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