Redding Consortium presents three redistricting models; AIR fiscal report expected before Dec. 16 vote

The Redding Consortium presented three high-level redistricting models and said it will provide fiscal estimates from the American Institutes for Research (AIR) before the consortium’s Dec. 16 vote on which model to build into a detailed plan.

At a packed Brandywine School District workshop, consortium co-chair Senator Elizabeth Lachman and former Lt. Gov. Matt Denn described the remaining options as: (1) keeping the four existing districts intact but assigning some Wilmington students to Brandywine and Red Clay; (2) creating a Metropolitan Wilmington School District that would consolidate portions of current districts; or (3) forming a single Northern New Castle County consolidated district that would absorb the four districts into one larger LEA. "We have narrowed that list down to three," Lachman said.

Matt Denn outlined the consortium’s statutory charge and the scale of disparities the effort seeks to address, citing differences in elementary proficiency rates within Brandywine: "Average reading proficiency is 54.1%...at the three lowest-income elementary schools [reading] is 30.5% and average math proficiency is 26.7%." He said the 2019 statute that created the consortium requires a recommendation and that the consortium must include a detailed transition and implementation plan covering 13 subject areas.

The presenters said consolidation could increase access to programs (for example, broader magnet or immersion pathways) and — over time — shift funds from district administration toward frontline educators. They also warned of tradeoffs: transportation expansion, leveling up salaries through collective bargaining and absorbing building maintenance costs could increase short-term program costs.

On fiscal questions, Denn said AIR was asked to analyze other consolidation experiences and to model Delaware-specific staffing and cost implications using data from the state and districts. "One of the things that AIR was specifically asked to do was look at...the experience of other districts that have consolidated," he said. Consortium leaders told the board they expected AIR’s estimates "shortly before" the Dec. 16 meeting and that the consortium would share them with boards and the public.

Consortium leaders emphasized next steps and checks: after the consortium approves a full plan it would go to the State Board of Education for review (statutorily 90 days), and then to the General Assembly for a final decision. They also said any final plan would include implementation timetables and designated responsibilities intended to avoid immediate, forced moves of students.

The consortium listed optional recommendations being considered alongside district-line changes, including state-funded before- and after-school programs, expanded gifted programming, arts tracks, language-based learning supports and pay premiums to attract staff to high-need schools. Presenters repeatedly said the state — not local taxpayers — would be expected to bear costs associated with leveling up salaries, but they acknowledged there are no guarantees until the General Assembly acts on any proposal.

The consortia’s presentation closed with a reminder that selecting a model next week is the start of a multi-phase process. "There are years of additional planning and transition work that would follow," Lachman said.

Provenance: Presentation and Q&A (Redding Consortium): consortium presenters and statistics as discussed during the meeting.