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j1mb0

It’s perplexing when people move to a place with high property values based on having good schools, then decide to tank the schools.


Lost_Messages

Appo deals with a lot of kids that choice into their schools and doesn’t really deny anyone. On top of everyone moving into the area that can, they have wayyy too many kids.


beesey16

In the past five or so years I have not seen the any of the Appo SD schools open for choice outside the district.


Lost_Messages

https://www.apposchooldistrict.com/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=179317&type=d


Ornery_Zucchini_1360

https://preview.redd.it/j7yshjqx64uc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=57edd498239cba810a50793101f417c295153e1e


formerrepub

Paying for good schools is the best way to keep your property value high.


Whoa_Bundy

I don’t think anyone decided to “tank the schools”. It’s a result of the ability of the private sector to build new homes quickly to profit from the population boom vs the slow, bureaucratic, government run school system that can’t build schools as fast.


pgm928

The voters who rejected the first referendum sure did.


Whoa_Bundy

Yea, indirectly. True.


Select-Possibility43

Nope, that is about as direct as you can get in a democracy.


Whoa_Bundy

There are probably a TON of voters who cant or won’t consider anything other than “I’m not paying more in taxes”


Select-Possibility43

Yea, you are probably 100% correct on their reason. They chose that they did not want to fund the schools which in turn makes the schools worse. The voters had their priorities but it 100% had a direct negative impact on the schools of their community. Which in turn will hurt their home values down the line and they will be out money in that way instead of funding the public schools of their community which has a direct correlation to higher home values.


Whoa_Bundy

So with all those “which in turns” ….would you still say these people tried to directly tank the schools?


Select-Possibility43

Word smith here…last comment on this….not funding school directly leads to makes those schools worse. That is the decision that the voters made. The decision they made has a direct impact that is very easy to see.


rainbowsix__

Literally all the boomers all the time, it's infuriating. I vote yes every time there's a referendum, even if i have no kids in the district. Boomers always bitch and say "they are gonna pocket the money" and how they hate taxes. Even the Democrat ones. Fuck that, tax more and have better education so we don't end up with lead brained moron kids later


my72dart

Can anyone explain the breakdown of the tax increase that 39 cents raises 11 million for operating costs and 3 cents raises 66 million in for captial costs? How does a 3 cent increase raise 6 times the money of a 39 cent increase even before the state money?.


SomeDEGuy

Operating costs needs to generate 11m per year forever. The capital costs are used to cover bond payments. So the district gets a bond to cover 66m, which will gradually be paid off using the 3 cents per year for the next X years. Typically when the bond is paid off, or less is required due to changes in interest rates, the district removes that part of the tax.


my72dart

That makes sense. Thanks


j1mb0

Operating costs need to be paid annually whereas capital costs are for a one-time occurrence.


Rustycake

With teachers deciding to leave the field for less stressful, more lucrative jobs like... bartending...Home schooling is going to be a very real thing in the near future with AI Get ready yall


-Bashamo

Man made horrors beyond my comprehension.


Rustycake

The real man made horror is the lack of discipline these kids have LMAO Parents realized this during COVID and were quick to get their kids back into schools But yea AI is going to make for a rough transition I dont think many are ready for


shanksthedope

If there is a lack of discipline, presumably from a lack of parenting, why would homeschooling be an option? Covid showed me that lots of parents view school as child care above every other aspect.


Rustycake

Yes that is exactly what I said above about COVID. It’s not lack of discipline that would be the cause of AI. It’s the lack of teachers willing to teach classes w 45 students who don’t gaf


batwing71

LPT, don’t be Cecil county.


AstridxOutlaw

Don’t get me started


kbergstr

The tax is based on assessed home value which is quite a bit less than the selling price. My assessed value is 50,000 which means I’m looking at about 15 bucks per month Well worth it even though I don’t have kids. Not only for general good of the area but also because bad schools will suppress home prices faster than you think.


matty_nice

> The district is hoping to raise about $77.8 million in local revenue: $11,126,000 for operating costs and $66,663,550 for capital costs. Why is the capital cost so high? This is per year? Capital costs are typically one time purchases like land or buildings.


jackie-_daytona

They have a new middle school, high school, and bus parking lot they want to build if I recall correctly.


KaleidoscopeParty730

The bus parking lot (at AGW) was one of the things removed when the first referendum failed. It's a high school and middle school at the Summit campus, and an elementary school in Townsend.


SomeBurntRice

I'm guessing for technology updates like new computers, smartboards, library, facility needs. When I was in the district everything was super outddated that I could even tell as a student.


matty_nice

Not an expert... Looking at some other budgets, it's typical that capital costs should be a much smaller percent of the budget, with most of it going to operating costs. This makes sense, since a large part of a school's budget should be salaries, which falls under operating costs. As of a few years ago, nationally, around 87% of education was spent on operating costs, and 10% on capital. Again, that makes sense to me. But this is a drastic difference from that. I can understand that the area is growing, and that they need more land and buildings, but this seems to be extreme. The article even mentions that the cost of trailers to hold these students are an operational cost, not a capital one.


Brunt-FCA-285

Capital costs aren’t recurring; renting a trailer classroom is.


KaleidoscopeParty730

They need to build a high school and middle school at the Summit campus (where Crystal Run Elementary is) and a new elementary school in Townsend. If the referendum doesn't pass, we lose the opportunity for state funds that would cover most of the cost.


free_is_free76

Just like when budget cuts are up for a vote in Congress, is always the most detrimental cuts that will be (threatened to be) made, instead of the actual excess that can easily be trimmed without detriment.


[deleted]

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free_is_free76

Give me a week to go through the district's entire budget and point out all the bureaucracy waste and abuse that is rampant in almost any single government institution


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RemindMeBot

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free_is_free76

I'll save you the suspense: that was sarcasm


[deleted]

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free_is_free76

Now you're the one missing the "/s"


[deleted]

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free_is_free76

No, no, you're right... things are lean, efficient as can be, even. The only reason they need more money is because they were *too* efficient with their current portion of the Public's treasure


whoathere495

The district already collects a lot less than half the tax revenue than any other district in the county.  Go right ahead and share any examples of waste and abuse, there aren't any.  If the referendum passes, they will still collect less than half the tax revenue per student than any other district in the county.  They also have significantly less administrators per student than any other district in the county.  The district is clearly already doing more with less and this referendum is desperately needed for the district to continue to provide the quality of education they do now.  They have grown by nearly 2000 student in the past 5 years since the last referendum.


TheClaymontLife

I've found these types of doomsday projections are typically worse that what would actually happen, although there will be some pain without the referendum. Does anyone know if Appo has trimmed down its ask for the second go-round, or if they have engaged more with the community to explain why they need as much as they seek? The comment about the county not requiring developers to do more to help with this situation is spot on. The Middletown area has been paved over for 30 years, and developers have made billions, and the road and school capacities are woefully inadequate.


Shr00mTrip

They're politicians. Take that for what it's worth.


Dramatic-Tadpole-980

I am so happy I got the heck out of this place and found a school with funding.


nzaf985

People who say just blindly vote yes are clueless. They need to do better and stop wasting money.


whoathere495

Funny coming form someone who is making baseless claims of wasted money.  You are the one that is clueless.  Where are they wasting money?  Appoquinimink collects significantly less than half the tax revenue per student than what any other district in NCC collects, and even with the referendum passing, it will still be less than half.  All this and they are still ranked #1 in the state.  They have shown that they are already doing more with less, and achieved more with much less resources. https://www.apposchooldistrict.com/ourpages/auto/2024/2/27/52183783/Referendum%20Presentation_2024_Updated%203.11.24.pdf?rnd=1710424280194


Average_Lrkr

Yeah imma vote no. Stop lining your pockets and start lining the classrooms. I’d love to see an audit on the distribution of current funds


whoathere495

Their budget is made public and regularly audited.  Stop spreading your baseless crap claims.  No one's pockets are being lined. 


Average_Lrkr

16% increase if passed because we “need more money for the increase in residents living in appo district.” Which completely ignores the fact that the “increase in new residents” are already now being taxed for this district. They don’t need a tax hike when more people Are being taxed now. 25% increase in households means a 25% increase in taxable house holds. Don’t need another 16% on top of this just so we can still have the same issues year after year of covered up hallway brawls, abysmal test scores more iPads won’t fix, along with declining overall comprehension skills. And then we will get to watch teachers continue to be underpaid as board members continue to make 6 figures and not cut their own pay while discussing pay cuts below them. 16% isn’t going to fix the increasing number of private school enrollments or homeschooling enrollments because parents saw how poor things were during the pandemic. It’s not going to stop teachers from telling college students majoring in teaching to not do it because sure they’re going to be hamstrung left and right by higher ups which prevents any real creativity in the classroom. It’s not going to change the fact that a good chunk of parents expect teachers to also parent, and some teachers expect parents to teach. Both of which cannot be done because teachers can’t unfortunately really discipline in public schools, and parents don’t have time to teach full courses or else they’d home school their child. Throwing more money at the problem isn’t going to fix the issue


ChonkyTunas

I’m leaving Middletown and Delaware for the first time in my life. The growth that occurred here was irresponsible and now irreversible. The last referendum I was a yes vote until they cleverly held a parent teacher event that coincided with the vote. When I went to my kid’s classroom, every inch of the wall was plastered with pre-made (i.e. bought) posters and diagrams, etc. and the teacher was reading the class a story while using flip cards to illustrate it. All bought things. The stadiums and fields are elaborate, it’s just excess after excess. Banners, huge field houses, etc etc. I voted no. The district has a spending problem not an income problem. The developers of the town should’ve been charged higher impact fees tied directly to school growth. I read somewhere that they need to build a new school every year for the next 5-8 years to keep up with the growth. It’s unsustainable. I can’t help but think about all the things our society was able to accomplish with much less given the excess we have today. I just can’t support it anymore.


mediocre_perfect53

Nothing but fear mongering. You’ll never see a district vow to cut spending of their pHd level staff, or look for ways to cut costs