Wilmington Education Improvement Commission held their 2nd meeting

The Wilmington Education Improvement Commission held their second meeting yesterday at William Penn High School from 4:00 to 6:00. There were about 30 members of the public there. Dr. Rich went over the tentative timeline. Mike Jackson the Deputy Controller General gave a presentation Delaware School Finance 101, very informative.  William Penn High School Penn Bistro provided the commission with a wonderful assortment of snacks.

The next Wilmington Education Improvement Commission Meeting will be held on October 20, 2015 4:00 to 6:00 at Sarah Pyle Academy Gymnasium.

The Wilmington Education Improvement Commission will also be presenting to the Red Clay School Board on October 21, 2015 7:00 at Conrad Schools of Science.

Wilmington Education Improvement Commission – Funding Student Success Committee Met Yesterday

Wilmington Education Commission Improvement website

Yesterday, I attended the Wilmington Education Improvement Commission – Funding Student Success at William Penn High School – 2:00 to 4:00. Mike Jackson (Deputy Controller General) and Jill Floore (Red Clay School District Chief Financial Officer) are the co-chairs of the committee, they went over the discussion/possible proposed action items.

Mike Jackson and Jill Floore  are financial folks and I am grateful that they are co-chairing this committee. I am concerned about the timeline to have a plan in place by the end of October, which is only 6 weeks away, but I will wait and see what happens at the next few meetings. The quick timeline is due to the timing of when the final report must be presented to the Wilmington Education Improvement Commission and the State Board of Education. I just want to point out that many of the members of this committee have backgrounds in school finances.

Discussion Items/Possible Proposed Action Items:

• Funding Low Income Students (House Bill 117)
• Funding Kindergarten – 3rd grade Basic Special Education (House Bill 30)
  • I asked if funding for English Language Learners could/would be added to the prosed action items?
• Weighted Student Funding
• Multiple Enrollment Unit Counts
• Property Reassessment
• Tax Rates
• Funding – shifting population between districts
• Staffing impact on each district
• Facilities needs assessment (example new middle or high school, condition of existing building, etc.)
• City of Wilmington – Office of Education and Public Policy
• Early Childhood Learning
  • Meeting the Needs of Students in Poverty Committee will look at this as well.
  • Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge Grant – the grant is done, how are we going to fund early learning?
• College Access
• IRMC – Interagency Resource Management Committee
  • The next meeting of the IRMC is December 2, 2015.
  • IRMC’s Mission – Promote the development of a comprehensive and coordinated early childhood system, birth to eight, which provides the highest quality services and environment for Delaware’s children and their families.
• Look at equity in choice.
  • I would suggest looking at transportation as well.

The next Student Funding Success meeting will be September 22nd 3:00 to 5:00 at Baltz Elementary School.