Source: http://delcode.delaware.gov/sessionlaws/ga140/chp287.shtml
Timestamp: 2014-09-20 03:56:17
Document Index: 199450097

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 202', '§ 207', '§ 220', '§ 221', '§ 224', '§ 223', '§224']

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS. WHEREAS, a public school system where children attend schools in their community and close to their homes has broad support among Delawareans;
WHEREAS, most parents prefer that their children attend schools close to their homes and in their communities thereby minimizing transportation time between home and school; WHEREAS, reducing the need for extended transportation to and from school better enables children to arrive at schools rested and ready to learn;
WHEREAS, neighborhood schools foster a sense of pride in the community and can serve as a focal point for community activities;
WHEREAS, it is crucial that parents have significant input at the local level in terms of where their children attend school;
WHEREAS, feeder patterns decisions traditionally have been made at the local level thereby providing parents significant input in those decisions;
WHEREAS, the State recognizes that the Appoquinimink School District and existing non vocational school districts in Kent and Sussex Counties may want to consider alternative attendance feeder patterns and/or grade configurations;
WHEREAS, Delaware’s schools in Northern New Castle County were subject to a Federal Consent Decree for many years which mandated certain school feeder patterns but that consent decree has been lifted;
WHEREAS, children living in the City of Wilmington currently attend schools in the Brandywine School District, the Red Clay School District, Christiana School District or the Colonial School District; and
WHEREAS, it is important that any plan for neighborhood schools is fair to all children and that all residents of Northern New Castle County have input in what schools their children attend and how those schools are run.
Section 1. This Act shall be known as the Neighborhood Schools Act of 2000.
Section 2. Amend Title 14, Delaware Code by designating current § 202 through § 207 as “Subchapter I. System of Free Public Schools” and inserting as new subchapter II the following:
“Subchapter II. Neighborhood schools.
§ 220. Purpose
It is the intent and purpose of the General Assembly through this subchapter to establish and implement a plan for neighborhood schools in Northern New Castle County that is fair and equitable to all affected children in New Castle County.
§ 221. Definitions.
(1) 'District' or 'districts' means Brandywine School District, Colonial School District, Christina School District, and/or Red Clay Consolidated School District, either jointly or severally, as context indicates.
(2) 'Committee' means the Wilmington Neighborhood Schools Committee.
(3) 'Plan' means a Neighborhood School Plan.
(4) One member designated by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate with such member being a resident of the City of Wilmington; (5) One member designated by the Speaker of the House of Representatives with such member being a resident of the City of Wilmington;
(8) One member from a community based organization designated by the President of City Council; (9) One member from each of the four school boards with such persons serving from a Wilmington nominating district; and (10) One member residing in the City of Wilmington and representing the New Castle County Vo-Tech School District.
§ 224 Neighborhood School Plans
(a) In the context of the plan submitted, or lack thereof, pursuant to § 223(f) of this subchapter and any action taken by the General Assembly and the Governor to implement the Wilmington plan, the school boards of Brandywine School District, Colonial School District, Christina School District, and Red Clay Consolidated School District shall develop a Neighborhood School Plan for their districts that assigns every student within the district to the grade-appropriate school closest to the student's residence, without regard to any consideration other than geographic distance and the natural boundaries of neighborhoods. Notwithstanding the above, the Plan may assign students to schools based on factors other than geographic distance and natural neighborhood boundaries if a substantial hardship to a school or school district, student, or a student's family exists; provided, that, no student shall be assigned to any school on the basis of race and school assignments shall be made without regard to the racial composition of the schools. Districts may consider as part of their neighborhood school plans, inter-district school assignments for individual schools, with the concurrence of other districts, to the extent such assignments further the purposes of this Act.
(b) Neighborhood School Plans shall consist of the following grade configurations:
(1) A lower-level school, or elementary school, consisting of either grades K-5 or grades K-6;
(2) A middle-level school, or junior high school, consisting of either grade 6 or 7 to grade 8 or 9; or
(3) An upper-level school, or high school, consisting of either grades 9-12 or grades 10-12.
If a district has only 2 school configurations, the plan may contain any combination of grade levels. To the extent a district concludes that an alternative configuration would better accomplish the goals of this Act, the district may present an alternative neighborhood school plan in addition to the plan based on the above configurations.
(c) Each district shall hold at least 5 public hearings concerning their proposed plan prior to submission to the State Board of Education.
(d) The school board of each district shall submit its plan to the State Board of Education by November 15, 2001 for its review and approval. If approved, the State Board of Education shall notify the Budget Director and Controller General who shall, subject to an annual appropriation, release to the district a one-time payment of $1.25 million from the General Fund for transition costs incurred by the district in implementing the Plan. If the State Board of Education does not approve the plan, it shall notify the district in writing, identify the reasons why the plan was not approved and require the district to re-submit the plan within 60 days of the notice of denial. If the district fails to re-submit the plan in accordance with this Act within 60 days, the State Board of Education shall refer the matter to the Attorney General’s Office to bring an action in a court of competent jurisdiction to compel compliance with this subsection.
(e) A district that, as a result of its Plan, reduces its student transportation expenses from its student transportation expenses for FY 2001 shall receive payment for the difference between those expenses, as calculated each year, for 10 years. The district shall use the payments for general education expenses.
(f) Each district shall implement its Neighborhood School Plan within 18 months of receiving payment of one-time transition costs pursuant to subsection (c) of this section.
(g) A citizen with standing may bring a private cause of action in a court of competent jurisdiction to enforce the requirements of this section.
(h) Nothing in this section is intended to deny or interfere with a student attending a special education program, an alternative school or a charter school, or electing to attend a school through the enrollment choice program.”
Section 3. The Appoquinimink School Districts and existing non-vocational school districts in Kent and Sussex Counties may submit plans proposing alternative attendance feeder patterns and/or alternative grade configurations to the State Board of Education and if approved, pursuant to the process outlined in §224(d), shall receive payment of $350,000.00 for one-time transition costs to implement the plan.
Approved April 20, 2000