The Echo

Senate Bill # 98
Primary Sponsor: Bonini
CoSponsors: Sens. Simpson, Sokola, Sorenson; Reps. Cathcart, Hocker, Hudson, Lavelle, Lee, Manolakos, Ramone, D. Short, Wilson
Introduced on : 05/13/2009
Long Title: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS.
Synopsis: This Act gives local districts flexibility to reduce administrative costs, as opposed to just teacher costs, when facing budget shortfalls.
Current Status: Senate Finance Committee On 05/13/2009
Fiscal Note:Not Required
Full text of Legislation: (in HTML format):Legis.html

Senate Bill # 95
Primary Sponsor: Peterson Additional Sponsor(s): Rep. Scott
CoSponsors: Sens. Sokola Bushweller Sorenson Bonini,Reps. Ramone Longhurst Hudson Manolakos D.P. Williams Barbieri
Introduced on : 05/13/2009
Long Title: AN ACT TO CREATE FOUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND TO CONSOLIDATE THE EXISTING NINETEEN DISTRICTS THEREIN.
Synopsis: This Bill provides for consolidation of the current public school districts into four districts. They include a Northern, Central, Southern and Consolidated Vocational School District. Because of the complexity involved, the Bill directs the Department of Education to provide the General Assembly with proposed legislation to accomplish this. The consolidation will take effect July 1, 2011.
Current Status: Senate Finance Committee On 05/13/2009
Fiscal Note: F/N
Full text of Legislation: (in HTML format) Legis.html

This one intrigues me. We all knew this proposal was coming; however, the language of the synopsis implies that our DOE is not in favor of the bill. Why does the bill need to instruct DOE to provide a plan? Wouldn't they have one, ready in the wings, if this was something DOE supported? Wouldn't they have already presented the plan to Sen. Peterson and wouldn't it be attached to the bill as a proposal? Maybe they do. And we, as citizens, are not privy to the personal agendas of our folks in Dover.

Let's just hope that whatever is proposed is either feasible and logical or completely out in left field.

I'd really rather see a bill that would require existing school districts to enter into collaborative bargaining to increase their buying power and drive down vendor pricing thus saving tax payers money. And a bill amending the complicated funding formula that centralizes much of Delaware's education funding to the DOE, one that will bring fiscal control into local district hands.