Incumbent Julie Derrick files for Cape school board election

Incumbent Julie Derrick has filed for re-election in the Cape Henlopen school board election set for Tuesday, May 10.

Derrick ran unopposed in 2017 for the Area D representative seat, which encompasses Rehoboth and Dewey Beach. She said she chose to run again because more work remains to be done.

“I believe in what we’ve done, and I’m really proud of our board,” she said. “It’s been such a learning experience. It’s been very positive and rewarding.”

School board terms are long, Derrick said, but even with her teaching background, understanding how the board operates requires a lot of behind-the-scenes work, and some initiatives take time to complete in a district with more than 1,000 employees and 6,000 students.

Seats on the board will now be held for four years since the passage of House Bill 92 in October, which reduced the term of office from five to four years for school board members elected after Dec. 31, 2021.

Derrick said the mutual trust and relationships she’s developed with district leaders and teachers have helped her become a voice for parents and an advocate for children who need support. Derrick said she strongly supports the district’s strategic plan, purpose and focus on equity.

“I volunteer not only for my three kids, but for all kids in the district,” she said. “I feel very passionate about that and want to advocate for our kids. We are their security and their chance to succeed when they have a lot of odds stacked up against them.”

She currently serves as board vice president, as the school board representative on the Cape Henlopen Educational Foundation board and as an alternate on the Delaware School Boards Association Legislative Committee. 

In prior years, Derrick served as a mentor at Rehoboth Elementary School, and on the citizens budget oversight committee and the wellness committee, which she called her passion.

“Movement is so important to overall well-being, especially since COVID,” said Derrick, who in 2014 opened Shell We Bounce with husband Jim to offer indoor physical exercise and activities for children and adults. “We have to really put our resources into mental wellness. It’s a bit of a crisis, if I’m being honest.”

District employees have struggled over the past two years because of the pandemic, Derrick said.

“I am so grateful to our teachers and administrators who have done such heavy lifting,” she said. “They’re working longer hours, and have had to evolve and adapt as we’ve switched to using more technology. They’ve gone above and beyond their job duties. That my kids are thriving is a testament to them.”

A Caesar Rodney High graduate, Derrick lives in Rehoboth with her husband Jim, a Cape High graduate, and their three children, all Cape district students. 

Derrick has a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree with dual certification in elementary and special education from Wilmington University. 

Filing deadline for candidates is 4:30 p.m., Friday, March 4. For more information, go to elections.delaware.gov.