Red Clay workshop highlights growth in parent councils, community partnerships and plans to make family engagement a district priority

Red Clay Consolidated School District administrators and community partners used a board workshop on April 9 to outline how the district is strengthening family engagement through the Red Clay Parent Advisory Committee (RC PAC), community partnerships and targeted outreach events.

The presentation centered on efforts to increase parent capacity and trust, and on measurable strategies the district will use next year. “Sure. So, our Red Clay Parent Advisory Committee Council, that’s a program that we have monthly, pretty much here at the district office,” April Anderson, the district’s McKinney‑Vento liaison, told the board. Valerie Brown, founder of the Skills Connection, described an annual back‑to‑school block party the district now organizes at Stanton Middle School and said attendance rose from roughly 3,000 in the early years to more than 6,000 last year.

District officials said the RC PAC meets monthly and that principals identify one to two parent representatives per school to shape programming. Anderson said the council’s meetings are planned around parent requests and that sessions offer childcare and a meal; she also said meetings are offered both in person and remotely to accommodate working families. “All of our meetings provide childcare and a meal,” Anderson said. Staff presented data showing average RC PAC attendance per meeting was about 11 parents in the 2023 school year and that the program has engaged parent representatives from across the district’s 28 schools (figures provided by district staff and described in the presentation).

Why it matters: presenters and board members framed family engagement as central to student success and cited federal programs and community partners as part of the support network. The board heard that family engagement will be a “non‑negotiable priority” and that next year each school’s continuous improvement plan will include family engagement goals and attendance as a key performance indicator.

What the district is doing: staff described a mix of district-run and partner programs, including RC PAC meetings, PTA and PTO activities, special‑education parent councils, adult‑education classes for multilingual families, and a partnership with Communities In Schools (CIS) for targeted supports. The district also highlighted collaborations with the Red Clay Education Foundation, the Hispanic American Association of Delaware and the Latin American Community Center for family sessions on housing, mental health and immigration issues.

Metrics and concerns: Board members asked how the district will measure progress. Presenters said metrics vary by activity—attendance at events (for example, the block party), school climate survey results, enrollment trends and student outcome data are among the indicators staff will use. District staff cautioned that some federal funding streams face rising costs rather than confirmed cuts; presenters said Title I‑funded positions and services could be affected if costs continue to climb, even though there is no current indication that federal Title I allocations will be reduced.

Community outreach and equity: presenters emphasized efforts to reach families who do not identify as part of a “nuclear family,” noting the district’s intent to use multiple communication modalities (in‑person, phone, paper, apps, social media and translated materials). The district highlighted programs aimed at multilingual families, newcomer students and families experiencing housing instability, and noted partnerships with local agencies that provide housing assistance, job coaching and other services.

Board direction: workshop presenters told the board that next year family engagement will appear in every school’s continuous improvement plan and that principals will include attendance and school climate measures as part of their school‑level goals. Staff also said they will continue to develop outcome‑oriented partnerships to align family engagement work with student success measures.

The presentation closed with examples of school‑level activities—literacy nights, math nights, career expos and summer programs—and with a district commitment to continue refining communication and programming.

Ending: District staff said the workshop was one in a series tied to the district strategic plan and urged continued partnership with families and community organizations as the district moves to implement the family engagement priorities in the coming school year.