First State Educate held a virtual forum May 6 with Cape Henlopen School District school board candidates, a week before the Tuesday, May 13 nonpartisan election.

In attendance were Bill Collick and Chris Lovenguth, the at-large candidates; and Laura Parsons and Patty Maull, two of the three District C candidates. Andy Lewis, the third candidate running for the District C seat, did not attend.

Collick emphasized the importance of adult support and mentors for students, and Lovenguth focused on supporting teachers and being upfront with the community. Maull pushed for more high-quality mental health resources for students, and Parsons emphasized building a strong foundation for students.

Financial decision-making

Maull advocated for transparency, equity, and more community engagement and input. Every dollar, she said, should be spent with the students’ best interest – and long-term impacts – in mind. 

Parsons pushed for the board and district financial officers to continuously monitor data (student demographics, enrollment trends, achievement data, etc.), public policy and legislation to make informed and data-driven spending decisions, develop projections and anticipate impending challenges.

School funding formula

Maull supports adopting a formula based on student need, instead of the state’s current per-unit formula, which is based on student enrollment numbers. A need-based formula, she said, would ensure funds are more fairly distributed, with more money allocated to schools with greater needs, like those with high numbers of English language learners or students with disabilities, or those with high rates of poverty and other learning barriers among students.

Parsons and Lovenguth echoed their support for a need-based school funding formula, with Parsons calling the current formula antiquated. Collick, on the other hand, believes the current formula is very fair and clear, though he said he’s certainly open to exploring other formulas if they will better suit the district.

Referendums

Lovenguth pushed for board members to go out into the community, knock on doors and inform folks about the work the board is doing and the funding it needs to support its teachers and students. He said the district must return to the basics and hold referendums only for things it needs – the resources needed for teachers to effectively teach and students to effectively learn.

Collick and Maull supported implementing county-imposed developer impact fees to help lessen the burden on taxpayers. Collick also said the district should obtain a certificate of necessity from the state for future referendums to make people more likely to support them.

The current referendum process, Parsons said, inadvertently creates stress, division and conflict, and it must be reformed.

Bullying and school climate

Lovenguth and Collick emphasized the importance of enforcing the code of conduct. They support having school resource officers in every building to ensure safety and to foster healthy relationships with students.

Maull and Parsons advocated for welcoming, inclusive learning environments, and teaching conflict resolution and emotional regulation skills. Maull also wants to increase the number of on-site school mental health counselors.

School choice

This is a difficult idea, Lovenguth said, because he loved being a Cape student. He said that if the district maintains high standards and shows the community how good its schools are, then people will continue to choose Cape over other schools.

On the other hand, Parsons said, while it’s great that so many people are attracted to Cape, the district is already overcrowded, and the board must first support the children already here. She supports the current measures in place to limit incoming students, barring extenuating circumstances. In terms of choicing out, she said any child should go wherever fits them best, but not with taxpayer money. Taxpayer money should stay in the public school system, she said.

Similarly, Maull believes that families should have access to high-quality education, but school choice should not come at the expense of public schools. She said the board should ensure that charter schools and other private schools are held to the same standards as public schools, and that funding formulas should not weaken the resources available to the public school system.

Collick said while Cape remains the district of choice in Sussex County, it will invariably have to decline some of the students who are trying to choice in, simply because there isn’t enough space.

To watch a recording of the forum and for more information, go to www.firststateeducate.org/knowyourcandidates.

Election information

The Cape school board elections will take place Tuesday, May 13. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Cape Henlopen High, Mariner Middle and Rehoboth Elementary schools, and Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company Station 2.

Two candidates are vying for the at-large seat: incumbent William “Bill” Collick and Chris Lovenguth. Three are vying for the Area C seat: Andy Lewis, Patty Maull and Laura Parsons. Jason Bradley is running uncontested for the Area B seat and will thus be automatically seated without an election.

School board elections are nonpartisan. Eligible voters can cast a vote for any candidate, regardless of where they reside in the district.