The Brandywine School Board voted unanimously at a special meeting Monday April 4th to take another referendum to voters, but the proposal on the ballot May 17th will be slightly different.
After a great deal of discussion and public comment, the board ok’d asking residents again for a 28 cent tax increase to bolster the district operating budget and to greenlight a slate of capital projects. But this time the district will not seek turf fields for its high schools.
During public comment before the vote, many criticized the district and board for a lack of transparency about their ask, some even accusing them of leaving those without kids in the school system in the dark.
School Board member Ralph Ackerman initially suggested a separate referendum question for a pilot turf field at just one school.
But Brandywine Superintendent Mark Holodick expressed concern any inclusion of the most contentious part of last month’s failed referendum would alienate voters. He noted the loudest complaints he received in the wake of that loss were about the turf fields, even though it made up a very small percentage of the ask.
"That topic dominated the conversation of the small and large meetings that we’ve held. And so my concern is that we’re at a point now with this second request that directly impacts in the employment of many school personnel," Holodick said.
Holodick also worried that a proposed pilot field for just one school could pit schools against each other.
School Board President John Skrobot didn’t think including a pilot turf field project would hurt, but added he didn’t want to risk losing again because of it.
“It’s important that we can continue to provide for the kids in the schools. Everything that we can give them: the extra curriculars for the JV, the strings, the arts, and the interventionists we have in the schools," Scrobot said. "The last referendum the community spoke and said they wanted interventionists in the schools.”
Holodick says if this referendum fails the district faces making 8 million dollars in cuts. That would translate into the loss of teachers, administrators, specialists, and more. The board will take a closer look at what those cuts would be at its regular meeting later this month.
They will vote on upwards of $8 million in cuts that have to be approved before May 15th. The next referendum is scheduled for May 17th. If it passes, Brandywine staff who will be notified on May 15th of their impending layoffs will not have to be let go after all.
