Frequently Asked Questions - F.A.Q.s

The Friends of the Brandywine Referendum Committee welcomes parents and community members

interested  in supporting the BSD Referendum. If you are interested in joining their efforts, contact

FriendsOfBSD24@gmail.com or visit www.facebook.com/friendsofbsdreferendum2024

Unlike surrounding states, Delaware school districts can only generate additional revenue for operations and capital projects if approved by a public vote, or referendum.  The Delaware Department of Elections oversees the election process in which a simple majority determines the outcome.  All public school districts must go out for an operational referendum every few years to keep pace with the increased costs of operations and programming.

While there are two types of referendum, Operational and Capital, Brandywine's February 13, 2024, referendum is Operational only.

• Operating Referendum
  Operational Referendum funds cover the day-to-day costs of operating the District (e.g., textbooks, curricular resources, technology, transportation, sports, student activities, specialized equipment, employee costs, substitutes, maintenance of building and grounds, etc.).

• Capital Referendum
  Revenue generated through a Capital Referendum is used to pay for the local portion of major construction projects (e.g., construction of a new school, school renovation, addition of classrooms or wing of a school, roof replacement, etc.).  BSD's February 13, 2024, Referendum does not contain a capital request.

The annual revenue collected from the 2016 Referendum is still the same eight years later. Simply put, the District cannot continue to operate on a revenue rate that hasn’t increased in almost a decade.

Operational funds cover the bulk of day-to-day operations of the District and include costs from paper, pencils, and paper clips to employee compensation, curricular material and instructional resources, maintaining low class sizes, technology, safety and security, utilities, custodial services, general maintenance, athletics, clubs, visual and performing arts, alternative education, and more.

An Operating Referendum provides funding for everything needed to run schools and programs on a day-to-day basis. Providing the current high level of programming, services and opportunities our students and parents enjoy and expect today, isn’t possible on the same funding needed to operate the District eight years ago. The successful passage of the Operational Referendum will ensure continuation of the work contained in our current District Success Plan, while preserving high priority items including:

Curriculum & Instruction

• • PreK-12, Gifted, International Baccalaureate (IB),  AVID, Immersion,  Visual & Performing Arts,  Dual Enrollment, and Career Pathways.

Safety & Security

• • School Resource Officers & Constables, building and bus cameras, and secure building access district-wide

Attracting & Retaining High Quality Educators and maintaining staffing levels amid a national teacher shortage

Maintaining current class size ratios 

Athletics and Clubs at the Elementary, Middle, and High School Levels 

Alternative Education & Non-Traditional Programming

Maintenance, Repair, and Cleanliness of Facilities 

To avoid devasting programmatic cuts and reduction of staff, the District needs 45 cents per $100 of assessed property value (assessed property values, established in 1983, are significantly lower than today’s market values). The District will phase the increase in over two years with 25 cents in Year 1 ($15.15 / month for the average BSD taxpayer) and an additional 20 cents in Year 2 ($12.12/month on average), for a total of 45 cents overall.    

The tax rate approved in 2016 was guaranteed to last three years. The District’s budget has had minimal growth since 2016, averaging 2.21% annually over the last eight years, despite incurring the local portion of additional earned staffing from the state. The District’s ability to absorb these costs with minimal annual budget growth highlights the fiscal stewardship and cost containment efforts across all other budget areas, including over $16.9 million received through grant writing and donations. 

No simple programmatic cut can be made to satisfy the looming $6.5 million deficit.  In addition to cutting teachers and staff units earned by the state (on average 60% state, 40% local cost share), all programs, services, and resources across all grade levels face significant cuts or elimination.  The depth and breadth of the cuts will be felt immediately throughout our schools and community, the impact of which will last for years. 

County Reassessment does not impact the Referendum.

• Reassessment must be revenue neutral for BSD
• Tax rates will be adjusted to collect the total distrct amount prior to reassessment.
• State law allows districts 10% provision related to delinquencies, appeals, and growth. BSD has never used this provision to increase revenue.