Public deserves voice in future of tech schools

Officials at Sussex Tech, the county’s one vocational-technical school, say without new funding, the school may cut 47 positions.

Unlike other school districts statewide, when Sussex Tech seeks more revenues, it is not required to hold a public referendum. Instead, tech schools turn to the General Assembly for legislation to raise taxes in districts that send students to the tech school.

That means state legislators – most of whom are not the people whose taxes would be raised – decide how much Sussex County residents will pay in taxes for Sussex Tech.

Also unlike other school districts, Sussex Tech is a single high school that is also a school district. Overseeing both the school and the school administration is the Sussex Tech school board, only unlike other school districts, this board does not stand for election; its members are instead state-approved.

Founded more than 50 years ago to prepare students for trades and trade schools, today’s Sussex Tech is a blue-ribbon high school and a nationally recognized school of excellence that ranks among the highest-achieving academic public schools in the state.

Still, that raises the question: Why are high-achieving academic students not served in their own high schools? Meanwhile, sending districts are expanding their culinary, auto mechanics and other programs – the very programs technical schools originally were established to provide.

Before Sussex residents are asked to foot the bill for more and more students who choose to attend Sussex Tech, it’s time for a full discussion about who applies to the school, who is admitted and whether the school is serving the needs of the students it was intended to serve.

The current system of an appointed school board amounts to bestowing responsibility on a group that has virtually no accountability to voters, while allowing the General Assembly to decide on tax increases, is taxation without full representation.

The current funding problems are the tip of the iceberg. The real problems lie in how tech schools statewide are structured and paid for, and it’s time to give students, parents and voters a voice in those discussions.