W. Donald Bland raises a not-uncommon concern about how school taxes will be impacted by the forthcoming county-level property value reassessment. School administrators have helpfully addressed this point in public meetings and on the Cape Henlopen School District website, which includes a list of frequently asked questions.
After the reassessment is complete, which is slated for the summer of 2025, the district intends to lower the tax rate to match the amount of revenue it would have raised without the referendum. While this adds another step to the process for funding our schools, it allows districts to move ahead with budgeting rather than hitting pause during the five-year reassessment process.
I'll be enthusiastically voting yes for the referendum Tuesday, May 21. Even without a child in the school system, living in an area with strong schools and well-educated young people makes our whole community stronger. This referendum is long overdue, and Cape Henlopen's school taxes will remain among the lowest in the county if it passes.
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