FAQs

An operating referendum is a vote that lets our community decide if our schools can get a little more money to help with everyday costs, like paying teachers, keeping schools safe, running buses, and supporting student programs. This money helps with three main things:

• School Safety - Keeping students and staff safe
• Student Supports - Helping every student learn and grow
• Recruiting and Keeping Great Staff - Making sure we have the best teachers and support staff

This is different from a capital referendum, which pays for big construction projects, like new buildings or major repairs.

An operating referendum keeps schools running strong every day.

School funding is shared between the state and local taxpayers. When state funding and local revenue are not enough to meet current needs, such as staffing, safety, or operational costs, the district must request additional support from residents.

A capital referendum is used to fund building projects. This includes constructing new schools, expanding existing schools, or purchasing land for future growth. In Delaware, a district must submit a Certificate of Necessity to the state before moving forward with a capital referendum. If the state approves the request, it pays about 80% of the cost, and local taxpayers contribute the remaining 20%.

For the past two years, the state has denied all capital project requests across Delaware, including those submitted by the Caesar Rodney School District.

An operating referendum allows a district to increase a portion of the school tax to support the day-to-day operations of the district. These funds may be used for staff salaries, safety and security, classroom programs, supplies, transportation, and other operating costs.

No. The referendum sets a new school tax rate. The district cannot increase local taxes again without another public vote.

The district knows that some schools are overcrowded and has sent six requests to the state to add more space and reduce class sizes. But for the second year in a row, the state denied all school building requests across Delaware. Because the state must approve capital projects (and pays about 80% of the cost), the district cannot include new school construction in this referendum.

Most Delaware school districts hold an operating referendum every 4 to 6 years, but Caesar Rodney has not passed one in more than 10 years. During that time, the cost of running the district has continued to rise, while funding has stayed the same, and the district has opened two new schools to serve a growing community.

Over the past three years, the district has taken multiple cost-saving steps, such as:

• Reducing school and department budgets

• Eliminating district-level positions

• Returning unused state vehicles

• Evaluating and adjusting programs to maximize efficiency

Despite these reductions, ongoing increases in operating costs make a referendum necessary to maintain current staffing levels, programs, and services.

Delaware’s state rankings can be misleading because states measure student performance differently. For example, Delaware requires all students to take the SAT for free during the school day, which means over 95% of students participate. In nearby states, only about 57% to 63% of students take the test, and higher participation rates often lower average scores, which affects rankings.

Within Delaware, Caesar Rodney continues to perform at a high level:

• Ranked #1 in Kent County for grades 3–8 academic achievement

• Ranked #2 among traditional public high schools in Delaware.

The district has achieved these results while maintaining one of the lowest school tax rates in the state.

We understand this is a common question. The Caesar Rodney School District is more than brick and mortar — it is the heart of our community and the legacy we continue to build together. From Camden to Magnolia, Wyoming to Rising Sun, and Dover Air Force Base, more than 8,200 students learn, grow, and discover their potential in our schools every day. Their success reflects the strength of a community that believes in investing in our schools, our community, and our future.

Even if you do not have children in our schools, strong schools build strong communities. The students who graduate from Caesar Rodney become the teachers, nurses, first responders, tradespeople, and small business owners who serve and support all of us. When our schools are strong, businesses grow, home values stay steady, and our community thrives.

This referendum is not just about dollars — it is about people. It is about keeping great teachers, providing safe, modern schools, and preparing for the growth we know is coming. When our schools succeed, our community succeeds.

After the countywide property reassessment, school districts were allowed a one-time 10% adjustment to match updated property values. In some districts, this meant $10–$20 million in new revenue, but for Caesar Rodney, it resulted in only about $235,000 — far below the rising costs of running the district.

The district only applied the 10% increase to a small portion of local revenue and did not include senior citizens or disabled veterans. The reassessment did not generate enough funding to maintain current staffing, programs, and student services without this referendum.

Impact fees are one-time payments made by developers when new homes are built. These funds cannot be used for teacher salaries, security staffing, student programs, or general operating costs. They are also modest in scale.

Caesar Rodney receives less than $300,000 per year in impact fees, which is not enough to offset ongoing and rising operational needs. Despite the growth in the area, the district has generated an average of only $100,000 in new tax revenue per year over the last five years.

Districts are required to maintain a responsible reserve balance to ensure financial stability and to manage unexpected emergencies. Using reserve funds to cover ongoing yearly expenses is not sustainable and would only delay the need for a referendum, not eliminate it.

Caesar Rodney teachers are among the lowest paid in Kent County. Teacher pay is based on years of experience and education level, often called “steps.” For example, a teacher with a master’s degree and 20 years of experience earns more than one with a bachelor’s degree and five years. Depending on the step, our teachers earn between $1,000 and $5,000 less than those in nearby districts. Passing the referendum would help the district offer more competitive pay and keep great teachers and staff in our schools.

Taxes would increase by 9.22 cents for every $100 of assessed property value.

The average assessed home value in our district is $297,347, which means an estimated increase of about $274.15 per year.

For the most accurate assessment details and to estimate your impact, please visit our Tax Calculator page.

All U.S. citizens who are 18 years or older and residents of the Caesar Rodney School District are eligible to vote in the referendum. You do not need to own a home or have children enrolled in the district to vote.

Voters must bring proof of address on the day of the election. Acceptable forms of identification include:

• Driver’s license

• State-issued ID

• Passport

• Utility bill

Voters may vote at any district polling location and may vote only once.

Yes. Absentee voting is available for residents who cannot vote in person.

Information and application forms can be found here.

The district will publicly track how referendum funds are allocated through annual budget reports and presentations to the Board of Education. These reports are open to the public and posted online. We also have a Citizens Budget Oversight Committee that meets biannually to ensure funds are being spent appropriately. Our goal is to maintain transparency so residents can see exactly how funds are supporting students and staff.

Yes, but senior citizens who are eligible for the State Senior School Property Tax Credit may continue to receive that credit. The district encourages seniors to review eligibility for state tax credit programs through the Delaware Division of Revenue or at the link below, as qualifying residents may reduce their school tax burden.

For more information, please visit our Help for Senior Citizens and Disabled Veterans page.