I am writing this letter in support of Cape Henlopen School District’s upcoming public referendum for increased funding. I believe that passing this referendum and benefiting from the proposed improvements to our public school district are critical to our success as a community.
As the leader of a large healthcare business serving the people of Sussex County, the growth and development of our public education system is critical for many reasons. First, as we work to recruit more physicians, providers, nurses and other staff to meet the needs of a growing community, a vibrant and healthy public school system is an absolute necessity for attracting candidates to our region. We compete effectively with other areas of the state and nation in areas such as physician and employee compensation, work experience and practice opportunities. But those candidates have families with children, and schools and educational opportunities play an important role in the decision-making of families when choosing where to live and work.
There are other important reasons as well. Increasing the educational offerings at Cape Henlopen School District means improving the throughput of students into the Beebe Healthcare training pipeline. And it’s not just physicians through our exceptional residency programs, but also our world-class Margaret H. Rollins Nursing School and the many other programs we partner with through local educational institutions. Local talent needs to be encouraged to enter the healthcare field at many different levels, and this starts with a vibrant and well-funded public school system.
Just like a local nonprofit independent community health system, a strong public school system improves local health and benefits all residents in the community. During the pandemic, the Cape Henlopen School District worked hand-in-hand with Beebe Healthcare to serve the community as best as possible, balancing the needs of students with the health of our residents.
As a Lewes citizen, I personally support this referendum.
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