July 2025 ASD Family Newsletter Keep scrolling to read about the people-places-things making news in our district.

Family Communication: July School Board Meeting Information

Dear ASD Families,

As many are aware, at the July 8 School Board Meeting, the School Board voted to raise the operating tax rate by approximately 10%. Given the ongoing discussion throughout the community, we wanted to share this communication to ensure everyone has accurate information.

Each year, the Appoquinimink School Board holds a board workshop in June and votes at its regularly scheduled July School Board meeting on the tax rate (also referred to as the tax warrant) for the following school year. The new tax rate must be shared with New Castle County by the second Thursday in July each year by law.

As a reminder, there are four components to the tax rate:

• Operating Tax: general operations
• Debt Service Tax: funds new buildings and major renovations
• Tuition Tax: funds special education and other programs as allowed by law
• Match Tax: offered local match for specific state programs as allowed by law

At the June Board Workshop and July Board Meeting, information was shared regarding our current financial position. As was shared at both meetings, the amount of money we’ve been anticipating in our “carryover balance” (think of this as similar to your personal savings account) is lower than we were projecting for this year.

I want to share more information about the timeline of events. In May, shortly after our first School Board Workshop regarding the tax rate – the then-finance director first shared concerns about forecasted or projected expenditures. In June – after the former finance director resigned, the district brought in subject matter experts. Those experts made the district aware of the full impact of the budgeting errors – including underestimated employee costs. At this point, the district became aware the financial position report was missing one payroll cycle, which greatly impacted the predicted carryover balance. In addition, it was discovered summer school expenses were incorrectly assigned to a federal account rather than a district account. Alone, these two errors meant that the carryover would be $3.2 million less. All told, when the corrections were made, this resulted in an estimated carryover of only $3.1 million, which is less than the projected carryover and the $4.2 million required by the State. This all was discovered just before the June Board Workshop. To be clear, this was a forecasting or projecting issue of total budget expenditures.

As a district, we are currently conducting a thorough examination of our financial situation to take corrective action to ensure this never happens again. This review will be conducted by individuals with school finance experience outside of our district.

We have always prided ourselves on our fiscal stewardship, particularly as a district that brings in far less local tax revenue based on our largely residential community. Appoquinimink also has the lowest taxes, the lowest tax assessment base, the lowest operational cost per student, the lowest administrative headcount, and the lowest teacher pay in New Castle County. Our district has always been incredibly careful with spending. Our district receives less revenue than all other districts in our county, yet we have the third highest number of students. On a per student basis, Appoquinimink is spending thousands of dollars less than other nearby districts.

In addition to the errors identified regarding expenditures, we also know three key components significantly impacted budget projections this year, including:

• rising utility costs
• increasing special education population
• national teacher shortage and associated costs for recruiting and retaining staff

We have identified $2.5 million in spending reduction for the next fiscal year. We are focused on making reductions that will have the least impact on our staff and students, aligned with our core value of always doing what’s best for every student.

The key areas where reductions will be implemented are:

• Department budgets
• School building budgets
• Staff reassignments
• Program/initiative/position reductions

Moving forward, we are committed to a number of processes to ensure this never happens again, including:

• onboarding a new finance director
• adding additional members with school finance experience to the oversight committee and providing ongoing training
• additional financial reporting that will be shared with the oversight committee and School Board

We are also committed to providing ongoing, detailed information to our community as these measures take place.

After much discussion, a combination of cuts and a one-time rate increase was the path chosen by the School Board. Understandably, some community members do not agree with this decision; however, even after this one-time increase, the district’s operational tax rate will remain lower than all other nearby districts, and Appoquinimink will continue to spend less money per student than its peers. This one-time increase is allowable by law only during reassessment. Please know, this measure was used as a last resort to avoid cuts that would greatly impact our students and staff.

Below are the current new tax rates for our district, broken down by category:

• Operating Tax: $0.3541
• Debt Service Tax: $0.0750
• Tuition Tax: $0.1743
• Match Tax: $0.0341
• Total per $100 assessed value: $0.6375

School Board Meetings in our district take place the second Tuesday of each month. We diligently share meeting reminders on our website, social media, and newsletters. All families and community members are welcome to attend in-person or watch the livestream on our Appoquinimink YouTube channel. In addition to the regularly scheduled School Board Meetings, School Board Workshops also take place periodically throughout the year. These meetings are also shared on our website, social media, and newsletters. Finally, all of our School Board members are available by email to discuss matters between meetings.

Please know that we are committed to our path forward. As a district, we continue to focus on cost reduction measures and will continue to conduct a thorough examination regarding the situation.

Respectfully,

Matt Burrows

Tim Higgins sworn in as Board of Education member

Please join us in congratulating Tim Higgins, who was sworn in at our July 8 School Board meeting as our newest member of the Appoquinimink Board of Education. Mr. Higgins joins the five-member board, comprised of Richard Forsten, Esq., board president; Dr. Tashiba Graham, board vice president; Norm Abrams; and Nichelle DeWitt. Mr. Higgins will serve a four-year term ending in 2029. Serving on the Board is a volunteer role – members are not compensated for their service – where members represent the views of the community in matters affecting education. As a reminder, the Appoquinimink Board of Education meets every second Tuesday of the month, with additional workshop meetings throughout the year. For more information on the Board, please visit our website.

Board leadership roles reestablished at the July 8 meeting

Congratulations to Richard Forsten, Esq., and Dr. Tashiba Graham, who were reelected to serve as Board President and Board Vice President, respectively, at the July 8 School Board meeting. Each year at the July meeting, the five-member board nominates the board president, vice president, and executive secretary (typically the superintendent of schools). At the July 8 meeting, Mr. Forsten, Esq., Dr. Graham, and Superintendent Matt Burrows were unanimously approved by the board to serve in the roles of Board President, Board Vice President, and Executive Secretary. For more information on the Board, please visit our website.

Next School Board meeting is August 12, 2025

The Appoquinimink School District Board of Education's next regularly scheduled meeting is Tuesday, August 12, 2025, at 7 p.m. in the Board Room in the Marion E. Proffitt Training Center. Board meetings are open to the public and live-streamed on our YouTube channel at bit.ly/appoyoutube.

For more information about our Board and to view the agenda for the upcoming meeting, CLICK HERE​​​​​​​​​​​​​​. Click Board Docs from the menu in blue on the left of the page (desktop), or find the Board Docs tab from the dropdown menu at the top of the page (phone).

July Board of Education Recognition

The Appoquinimink High School Indoor Percussion Ensemble was recognized by the Appoquinimink Board of Education for being named Tournament of Bands (TIA)’s Atlantic Coast Champions in their division. This was the Indoor Percussion Ensemble’s third championship win in the last four years. Additionally, AHS’s drumline placed third in the East Coast region in a Winter Guard International (WGI) competition. Congratulations!

Follow this link to view the recognition portion of the Board meeting!

Odessa High School Marching Band selected to participate in Philadelphia's Salute to Independence parade

Next year marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. To celebrate the occasion, the City of Philadelphia is hosting a Salute to Independence Parade, and our own Odessa High School Marching Band has been selected to march in the parade!

The 2.4-mile-long parade route will travel directly in front of Independence Hall, tracing the footsteps of our founding fathers, 250 years ago. The parade will begin at 11 a.m. on July 3, 2026.

Announcing New Leadership Roles

We are resharing this story from our June 2025 ASD Family Newsletter.

We are thrilled to share information about many long-time ASD team members who will be taking on new roles.

Dr. Sam Postlethwait, longtime principal at Appoquinimink High School, is now serving as Supervisor of Student Services.

At Appoquinimink High School, Dr. Lynn Streets is now principal. Prior to serving as principal of Cantwell’s Bridge Middle School, Dr. Streets served as assistant principal at AHS and is looking forward to returning to a building she knows well.

At Cantwell’s Bridge Middle School, Kelyn Marmolejo now serves as principal. Marmolejo has served as assistant principal since the building opened. In addition, Dr. Gina McKinney has joined the Cantwell’s Bridge Middle School administrative team as assistant principal. Dr. McKinney is looking forward to returning to a secondary school.

At Cedar Lane Elementary, Al Volpe now serves assistant principal. Mr. Volpe has experience at all levels of education and is excited to return to an elementary school.

Finally, in the Special Education Department, Dr. Kristi Peters is now serving as Acting Director of Special Education. Dr. Peters previously served as Supervisor of Student Services in the district.

Join us in congratulating all of our team members on their new roles.

Educators Rising - AHS Student Earns First Place

Delaware students delivered an extraordinary performance at the 2025 Educators Rising National Conference, held June 26–29 in Orlando, Florida. With more than 3,000 middle school, high school, and collegiate students attending, the event is the premier gathering for future educators nationwide. Under the theme “Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders,” the Delaware team had standout achievements.

• 39 percent of Delaware participants finished in the Top 10
• 26 students placed nationally
• 3 national champions, 3 second-place, and 3 third-place finishes

For Appoquinimink School District, Samantha Klein from Appoquinimink High School earned 1st Place in Lesson Plan & Delivery – Arts!

1. What does the recognition, especially it being a historic feat, mean to you?

The recognition from this win is something that I certainly didn't expect when I heard my name called in the Educators Rising conference, but nevertheless, it is greatly appreciated. However, with my win in a visual art-based category, it truly does mean a lot to me because creativity and art have always been a passion of mine ever since I was little, so it feels like both a tribute to my younger self as well as all the young creative minds in fifth-grade class I taught at Old State Elementary. I believe that it shows that if you have the passion and love for something, that small spark can turn into a roaring flame faster than you could ever imagine.

2. Why did you get involved with the conference and what was this experience like for you/what were some of your favorite moments or takeaways?

I got involved with Educators Rising and its competitions in my freshman year. I wanted to join the Appoquinimink High chapter because of my desire to get involved with education and inspire the young minds of tomorrow, and I thought that this would be a good way to do this, alongside being in the Education and Leadership Pathway. My experience being in the chapter at the school, state, and national levels was always extremely positive due to the amazing staff members and funding from the Appoquinimink School District. My two chapter advisers from Appoquinimink High, Mrs. Lindsay Myers and Dr. Elizabeth Koch, always helped and inspired me to pursue my competition and work as hard as I could; I truly couldn't have done it without their help throughout the school year. I would also like to acknowledge and thank Mrs. Emily Miller of Odessa High School, Mrs. Janice Nelson of Middletown High School, and Mr. Mike Trego at the District Office. Educators Rising Nationals would not have been the same without them, and I doubt I would be in the position I am now without the countless practices and feedback they gave me to help me grow throughout the conference. I am thankful for everyone who has helped me stay involved with the chapter and ultimately led me to become a national champion.

3. How does this experience/recognition advance your academic/career goals?

In my competition, I had to create a lesson plan and deliver that plan completely from scratch to a class of real fifth-grade students. I think that getting first place at both states and nationals really shows my skills and ability to work and teach at a professional level. I hope to use this accomplishment to demonstrate my future performance as an actual teacher to different universities and opportunities that come my way. I hope that creating a lesson and delivering it to this success allows me to gain a profession as an elementary school teacher in the near future, and be able to inspire generations to come.

LLRMS's Spencer Thornton selected as winner in composers' contest

Please join us in congratulating Spencer Thornton, a rising 8th grader at Louis L. Redding Middle School, who was selected as a winner of the Young Composers’ Competition sponsored through the Delaware Music Educators Association.

Spencer’s composition was selected as the winner of the Middle School Traditional Ensemble category!

Learning continues at our summer camps