What does the law say about Neighborhood Schools? What is required?

In the year 2000, the General Assembly passed the Neighborhood Schools Act (HB300). It requires the four northern New Castle County School Districts - Red Clay, Brandywine, Colonial and Christina - to submit by November 15, 2001, to the State Board of Education for review and approval. Once approved, these districts will receive a $1.25 million appropriation to implement their plans - a plan whereby students will attend their closest school while in grades K-5. Districts will then have 18 months to implement them.

The other K-12 districts don't have to, but they may also submit neighborhood schools plans - changing feeder patterns and/or grade configurations - and, if approved, receive up to $350,000 to implement them.

It also requires the City of Wilmington to submit its recommendation for implementing Neighborhood Schools within the City limits, given that four school districts currently have schools in the City.

Christina School District's lack of an approved Neighborhood Schools plan was the reason why Judge Leo Strine agreed with the City of Wilmington that Christina cannot close up to four of its inner city schools (June 2007). Doing so would leave several neighborhoods in the city with no elementary schools. The district has announced that it will not appeal this ruling.

The Neighborhood Schools concept has been implemented in many cities which are no longer under court superivison of their desegregation efforts. Supporters of Neighborhood Schools seek to eliminate long bus rides and speak of increased parental involvement.

Copies of the neighborhood school plans and transcripts from district presentations of the plans can be found on the State Board of Education web page. A limited number of copies will also be available at the hearings. In addition, the plans and the transcripts can be reviewed in the State Board of Education offices, 2nd floor, Townsend Building, Dover.

Questions? Contact Ann Case, policy analyst to the State Board of Education via email or by phone at 302-739-4603.

More info...

If you'd like to read more about education policy regarding the concept of Neighborhood Schools, low-income schools and what has happened in other cities, check out the Neighborhood Schools policy brief from the University of Delaware's College of Human Services, Education & Public Policy.

If you have an opinion, click here to contact your state legislator.

This page was last updated June 29, 2007.