Kilroy Esquire re: All-Day Kindergarten

Update June 20, 2008 per today’s News Journal
http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080620/NEWS02/806200339/-1/updates
“In addition, the panel included $2.2 million to begin full-time kindergarten in the Red Clay School District. Brandywine and Lake Forest already are included in the proposed budget.”
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Red Clay Referendum Feburay 2008

ADDITIONAL TAXES FOR SCHOOLS:
This item asks for your approval to raise an additional 15 cents per $100 of assessed value effective July 1, 2008, 5 cents per $100 of assessed value effective July 1, 2009, and 5 cents per $100 of assessed value effective July
1, 2010, for a maximum increase of 25 cents over three years.

Income from the levy will be used for current operating expenses to support educational programs in the district, including the following:

- Restoring school instructional budgets
- Updating technology
- Implementing district-wide full day kindergarten
- Reinstating after school activities and middle school athletics
- Purchasing new textbooks and library books
- Operating cost increases (e.g., salaries, benefits, transportation)
- Increasing security for schools and buses
- Re-establishing required year-end balance
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STATE OF DELAWARE
DELAWARE CONSTITUTION
As Adopted in Convention, June 4th, 1897,
with Amendments Made Subsequently thereto
through August 1995.

ARTICLE X
EDUCATION

§6. Property Tax; use Limitations.
Section 6. No property tax receipts received by a public school district as a result of a property tax levied for a particular purpose shall be used for any other purpose except upon the favorable vote of a majority of the eligible voters in the district voting on the question. (Section 6 added l980).

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144th General AssemblyHouse Bill # 397 w/HA 1
Primary Sponsor: Miro
Additional Sponsor(s): Sen. Sokola
CoSponsors: Reps. Hudson, Maier, Manolakos
Introduced on : 05/01/2008
Long Title:
AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO LOCAL SCHOOL TAXES.Synopsis:This Bill prohibits local school districts from collecting the local share of funds for all-day kindergarten until such time as the State share for all-day kindergarten has been appropriated.Current Status:House Passed On 06/18/2008 02:34:14 PM

AMEND House Bill No. 397 on line 5 by inserting after “appropriated” the following: “or the district has sufficient funding separate from the State, including private funding”.
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Ladies and gentleman of Red Clay! The Delaware State Constitution forbids taxes raised by levy aka local referendum in this case to be used other than particular purpose.

Per the Ballot associated with Red Clay’s successful February 2008 Referendum the district was asking the community for monies to implement district-wide full day kindergarten. The ballot did not state local portion of full day kindergarten. No this was no Red Clay agenda to build a loophole to full fund full day kindergarten on the backs of the local taxpayers. No one knew in February or when the referendum was plan that there would be issue with state funding.

Though House Bill 397 indicates. “This Bill prohibits local school districts from collecting the local share of funds for all-day kindergarten until such time as the State share for all-day kindergarten has been appropriated,” real doesn’t mean that as the amendment to HB 397 permits the school district to full fund full day kindergarten.

As far as Red Clay, the states legislators are saying if you want full day kindergarten bend over! This is a lame piece of legislation for the legislators to try to weasel their way out of their obligation and responsibility to our school children. It’s call another unfunded state mandate. They put Red Clay and other district in a corner to figure out how “they” are going to meet the need of full day kindergarten.

If state legislators fail to deliver funding as promised for state share and Red Clay can mustard covering the cost and delivering all that was promised then go for it, I support you. However, it is rolling the dice on local funding in a very unstable economy that could lead to a call for another referendum sooner then later.

To the community and parents “please” pickup your phones and call your local legislators and rip them a new ass! The legislators need to delivery their end of the bargain and provide the state share. There is a time to bitch at Red Clay but this is not that time. It’s time to bitch and bitch very loudly at your local legislators for their inexcusable method of pass laws without identified funding.

I don’t she how Red Clay can pull it off with this tight economy and state budget cuts as it is.

Stand up and fight now or don’t come back after no full day kindergarten and cry the blues. You have the power so use it.

Go Johnny GO !

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080619/NEWS02/806190353/-1/updates

“The state Democratic Party’s executive committee on Wednesday night endorsed gubernatorial candidate John Carney Jr., giving the two-term lieutenant governor his third party endorsement in the past month.”

“We’ve worked very hard, and it’s been very much a grass-roots process. It’s a boost for the campaign,” John Carney Jr. said.”

It’s no surprise that Gov. Minner’s hand-picked successor was the choice,” Jack Markell said.
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John Carney has really stepped out of the Minner shadow and appears to be the leading democratic contendership for Delaware governor. Looks like Pool Boy climbed the Lifeguard Tower and is no king of the pool.

Mr. Markell, what a crybaby! Do you really think with all Minner’s screw-ups in this state hand picking a successor would benefit John Carney? Get real, John Carney’s steamroller is getting heated up and is about to roll over your ass!

No All-day Kindergarten ?????????????

http://legis.delaware.gov/LIS/lis144.nsf/vwLegislation/HB+397/$file/legis.html?open
144th General AssemblyHouse Bill # 397 w/HA 1
Primary Sponsor: Miro
Additional Sponsor(s): Sen. Sokola
CoSponsors: Reps. Hudson, Maier, Manolakos
Introduced on : 05/01/2008
Long Title:
AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO LOCAL SCHOOL TAXES.

Synopsis:
This Bill prohibits local school districts from collecting the local share of funds for all-day kindergarten until such time as the State share for all-day kindergarten has been appropriated.
Current Status:
House Passed On 06/18/2008 02:34:14 PM

AMEND House Bill No. 397 on line 5 by inserting after “appropriated” the following: “or the district has sufficient funding separate from the State, including private funding”.

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With passage of this legislation does this mean no state funds for All-day Kindergarten?
Why would the legislators need to pass such legislation if the state planned on providing its share of state funding?

Either way, I’ll give the legislators credit for this piece of legislation that make sure Red Clay keeps it hand off of local tax monies levied for a specific purpose as noted on the referendum ballot for All-day Kindergarten. I had a few sparks with a board member at one of those Red Clay Town Hall Meeting about the tax laws. He didn’t believe it was one the ballot. Dam, the board was the one that called for the referendum and should know the ballot procedures. Just another example of how the board is out of touch.

Hopefully foe those parents who need All-day Kindergarten it all works out in your favor. I voted for the referendum to support All-day Kindergarten by certainly not for the sake of the school board.

I was glad that some sharp legislators listened to my concerns. We cannot trust Red Clay until we see full financial transparency and the purging of the good old boy board network.