The Indian River School District special referendum originally scheduled for February 9 but postponed due to inclement weather has been rescheduled for Tuesday, March 30.
The referendum seeks approval for the transfer of $137,000 in existing major capital improvement funding to allow for the construction of additional classrooms at North Georgetown Elementary School and a building expansion at Selbyville Middle School.
Approval of the referendum will not result in a property tax increase for school district residents.
The Indian River School District currently has $706,094 in surplus funding from the recently-completed roof replacement projects at Long Neck Elementary, North Georgetown Elementary and Selbyville Middle. The roof replacement projects were approved by district voters in a March 28, 2006 referendum and were completed for less than the anticipated budget, leaving a surplus in the accounts.
In order to use these funds for other projects, the district must seek voter approval to amend the original Certificates of Necessity to include the classroom and building expansion projects. Approval must also be sought to transfer $137,000 from the Long Neck roof account to the North Georgetown and Selbyville accounts.
At North Georgetown, $100,000 of the transferred funds will be used toward the construction of a two-classroom addition to the existing building. At Selbyville, $37,000 will be used toward a building expansion to enhance storage. When added to the existing account balances, the funding transfer will increase the roof replacement accounts to $417,695 at North Georgetown and $283,386 at Selbyville. The district may also need an additional $40,000 to $50,000 to complete the projects. If needed, these would be discretionary funds allocated from the district's construction contingency allotment and budgetary process.
“This referendum presents us with the unique opportunity to perform much-needed capital improvements to our buildings without raising property taxes,” Superintendent Susan Bunting said. “It’s important that we use these surplus funds for projects that will improve the learning environment for our students. We hope our caring residents will give their support to this worthwhile initiative.”
If the funding transfer is not approved, the State of Delaware will reclaim 60 percent ($423,656) of the unused construction balance from the roof projects. The remaining 40 percent ($282,437) would be used to reduce the district’s property tax rate for one year or to retire existing debt. The one-year reduction would be about $6.31 for the average taxpayer.
Voting on March 30 is from 10:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. District residents who are at least 18 years of age are eligible to vote at the following local polling places: Georgetown Elementary School, Indian River High School, Long Neck Elementary School, Lord Baltimore Elementary School, Millsboro Middle School and Selbyville Middle School.
