Changing the State Allocation Formula for the Secretary Unit

The number of secretarial positions that the State of Delaware will provide a local school district is based upon a formula defined in state law. This formula provides one secretarial unit for every 10 Division I units up to 100 units and one secretary for every 12 Division I units above 100 units. This formula was last changed in 1973.

In recent years, the General Assembly has passed legislation that has placed an increased clerical burden on schools and school districts. Public school choice legislation and a charter school bill both create a new and different clerical task of tracking students who apply to advantage themselves of these opportunities. "HB 85", passed five years ago, creates a reporting requirement to DPI for pupils who commit crimes on school property. Recent legislation created a discipline oversight committee which has identified an array of statistics and surveys that schools and school districts must now gather and complete. The state department has created a statewide attendance reporting system that has increased the clerical tasks in a school district. With all of these new reporting requirements, the state has maintained the same clerical support as it adopted in 1973.

Proposal: To change the secretarial allocation formula from 1 secretary for every 10 units up to 100 units and 1 to 12 for any additional units to 1 to 10 for all units with a minimum guarantee of one new secretarial unit per district.

Results of Proposal:

		Secretarial Positions Now			Secretarial Positions Proposed
School District	Division I Units	Units Now @1/10	Units now @1/12	Total Units Now	Total Units Proposed	Additional Clerical Positions
Appoquinimink	218	10	9	19	21	2
Brandywine	662	10	46	56	66	10
Christina	1221	10	93	103	122	19
Colonial	618	10	43	53	61	8
NCCVT	264	10	13	23	26	3
Red Clay	903	10	66	76	90	14
Caesar Rodney	338	10	19	29	33	4
Capital	374	10	22	32	37	5
Lake Forest	206	10	8	18	20	2
Milford	231	10	10	20	23	3
Polytech	83	8	0	8	9	1
Smyrna	195	10	7	17	19	2
Cape Henlopen	251	10	12	22	25	3
Delmar	46	4	0	4	5	1
Indian River	469	10	30	40	46	6
Laurel	124	10	2	12	12	1
Seaford	239	10	11	21	23	2
Sussex Tech	94	9	0	9	10	1
Woodbridge	101	10	0	10	11	1
Total	6637	181	391	572	659	87