Reading Consortium presents three redistricting models, schedules Dec. 16 decision
Summary
Co-chairs of the Reading Consortium told the Colonial School Board the body will narrow three conceptual redistricting models to a single map next week, emphasizing statutory requirements — including 13 implementation 'stipulations' — and saying consultants will soon deliver cost estimates.
Sen. Elizabeth Ortizzi Lachman, co-chair of the Reading Consortium, and co-chair Matt Den presented three conceptual redistricting models to the Colonial School Board on Dec. 9 and said the consortium plans to narrow its choice to a single model at a Dec. 16 meeting.
The consortium’s primary mandate, Den said, is statutory: the body "shall develop a proposal for redistricting in the city of Wilmington and Northern New Castle County," a duty created by the General Assembly in 2019. The recommendation is only the start of a multistep process: the state board of education would review a fully drafted plan that meets statutory requirements, and if approved the General Assembly would then consider implementing legislation.
Why shape the districts? Ortizzi Lachman said fragmentation among multiple districts and charter schools in Wilmington has contributed to disparate outcomes and limited access to programs. She described three remaining models: (1) a single consolidated Northern New Castle County district; (2) a metropolitan Wilmington district consolidating Brandywine and Red Clay with parts of Christina and Colonial; and (3) a Brandywine/Red Clay option that would absorb some Christina and Colonial students. Two consolidation variants would unify Wilmington schools under a newly created district; the third would reallocate students among existing districts.
The presenters emphasized that any plan sent forward must include detailed transition and resource plans covering 13 stipulated areas required by law, including student transportation, an implementation timetable, and designated responsibilities during transition. Ortizzi Lachman stressed one statutory protection: "no student who is attending a particular school at the time that any implementation of district line change begins, would be required to leave that school" until they complete the grade taught there.
On costs, the consortium contracted the American Institutes for Research to estimate the fiscal implications of each option, including the effect of “leveling up” employee salaries where a combined district would adopt the highest pay scale. Presenters said those estimates were due shortly and that the consortium has been deliberate in narrowing models because producing full implementation plans is resource-intensive.
Board members and members of the public raised questions about transportation logistics, neighborhood safety, the role of the City of Wilmington, effects on students with disabilities, and the future of choice and charter policies. Den acknowledged both opportunities and risks for students with disabilities: a larger district could widen the pool of specialized providers but also make advocacy harder for some families. He said the consortium’s discretionary recommendations would explore supports such as targeted before- and after-school programs with built-in transportation, salary incentives for staff in high-need schools, and program continuity measures.
Several public commenters urged accountability and clear funding plans. Charlene Anderson, a former educator and member of the public education funding commission, said Delaware needs stronger systems and leadership to make any structural change succeed. Another speaker raised concerns about potential tax impacts on seniors and asked how the consortium’s budget implications would be addressed.
Ortizzi Lachman and Den said materials and recordings of consortium meetings are on solutionsfordelawareschools.com; they reiterated that choosing a single model next week would allow the consortium to begin drafting the detailed plan required by statute, which would then be reviewed in public sessions before any submission to the state board or legislature.
The consortium’s next public decision point is a vote to select one model at its Dec. 16 meeting; further drafting, public review and separate votes will follow before the state board or General Assembly would consider changes.
