Dec 17 2025
Board Meeting

▼Full Transcript Below

1. Public Comment
   ⏯ 0:14:00 – 0:45:07

   • • Ryan Reamer (McKean junior): Spoke in opposition to converting McKean into an Innovation Center

     • Morgan Dukes (McKean staff member & alumni): Opposed the proposed Innovation Center at McKean, arguing that it reduces student opportunities and cited a petition with over 2,500 signatures against the plan. 

     • Jared Obstfeld (executive board member, Friends of AI; former Red Clay student & parent: remarks delivered by Brenda Steffon) Raised concerns about the proposed McKean Innovation Center and related redistricting, referenced past transparency issues.

     • Brenda Steffon (AI High School Class of ’88; Board Member, Friends of AI): Expressed concern about declining AI enrollment, need for financial transparency and communication about Innovation Center. 

     • Becky Orr: Requested a pause or slowdown on the McKean Innovation Center proposal

     • Steven Fackenthall (General Music Teacher, Richey Elementary; President, Red Clay Education Association): Acknowledged District efforts to meet with staff about McKean Innovation Center changes, but emphasized the need for staff buy-in to ensure long-term success

     • Shaun Orr: Highlighted the challenges of midday transportation for students with disabilities related to the Innovation Center

     • Andrew Cleaver: Called for greater transparency regarding the McKean Innovation Center and district operations

2. Superintendent Report
   ⏯ 1:00:12

   • • Superintendent Dorrell Green announced that the newly formed Attendance Zone Committee will meet. Red Clay's website has been updated and information shared with the community.

3. Board Discussion
   ⏯ 1:06:37

   • • Board Member Devon Hynson raised concern about choosing members for the new Attendance Zone Restructuring and Review Committee, member participation and committee transparency. Names selected.

⏯ 1:14:27

• Board members debated who will serve on the Attendance Zone Restructuring and Review Committee and revisited the discussion about community participation.

4. Board Committee Report
    ⏯ 2:06:34

• • • Board Member Susan Sander provided an update on CBOC which met December 9, 2025; a slide presentation about the Innovation Center was mentioned. 

⏯ 0:14:00 – 0:45:07 Click to hear all comments or Click a name below to hear individuals.

Ryan Reamer: Good evening members of the Board, administrators, parents, and teachers. My name is Ryan. I'm a junior at McKean High School. I'm here tonight to speak against the proposal to close McKean as a comprehensive high school and convert it into an Innovation Center. I appreciate the time that you're taking to listen because this decision affects not just the building, but generations of students and an entire community. 

For my underclassmen friends, this decision means that they will never get to say they graduated from McKean High School. They won't be able to compete for McKean sports teams, and some may not graduate with their friends. In the past three years, I've watched my peers settle into the school, build connections, and truly grow into the incredible students they've become. For my family, McKean is a legacy. My grandfather and all of his siblings attended McKean. My father went to McKean. My uncle here, my uncle taught here as the automotive teacher, and my brother graduated from McKean. And now I'm a student here. That history matters. I'm speaking to you not just as a student, but as someone deeply involved in the school. I'm the junior class president. I'm a member of the National Honor Society and the student government. I'm captain of the swim team. I also play volleyball and work closely with the unified sports programs which I am very passionate about. I work with teachers, administrators, and students every day. And I can very confidently say that McKean is full of dedicated staff and motivated students who care about their education and their community. I would also like to mention how one-third of our student population is students with disabilities. Many of which are my close friends and teammates. We have so many programs and resources for these students and I worry what may happen to them after the suspending of McKean. Career pathways and innovation programs are important and I would never deny that. I support expanding opportunities for hands-on learning to other students, but that should not come at the cost of eliminating a fully functioning high school. Closing McKean as a high school sends the message to our students and our families and our community that our history is disposable. I urge you to listen to the voices of the students who walk these hallways every single day and give future students the same chance that I had to learn, to lead, and to graduate proudly from McKean High School. Please take the time to reconsider this decision. I love my school, my teachers, my friends, and the opportunity provided to me, as does the rest of the student body. Thank you for your time.

Morgan Dukes: Hi, I'm Morgan Dukes, a McKean alumni, current staff member, and Red Clay community member. The proposed Innovation Center reduces student opportunities and still has not been clearly communicated to the families and the public. McKean serves 40% of all the district's comprehensive high school students, including 44% of our special education population. Yet McKean's students families overwhelmingly are not informed about this plan and those that are do not support it. District representatives have stated that communication about this plan has been sent out to families. I've spoken to multiple parents of McKean students and the only communication they received was labeled as secondary programming changes and school choice. However, there's hardly any explanation about what an innovation center really is. The comment that this process has been transparent is disingenuous. Almost 2500 people, more than double the number of responses to the committee survey, have signed a petition opposing what they believe is McKean's closure. This does not reflect the informed support that the committee suggested. It reflects widespread confusion, and that confusion is a direct result of how this plan was handled. McKean was not named as the proposed Innovation Center site in the committee's rolling slides until their meeting in May, just one meeting before the committee's final session. The community cannot provide meaningful public comment when they do not know what is being decided or where to find information about it. To even understand the proposal, a person would have needed to already know the committee was planning to do this, have access to the internet to find the committee's website, dig through months of slides, minutes, and recordings to understand what an innovation center is, and then somehow figure out that McKean was the intended target despite the school staff, families, and students never being notified. I know individuals right now who believe this plan turns McKean into a votech high school. People don't understand what an innovation center is and that confusion alone proves that this process has not been transparent. At the public meeting at the end of the 2425 school year, several concerns were raised and the district is planning committees to address some of those concerns, but parents deserve answers before decisions are made finally, not the year before implementation happens. The implementation date of fall 2027 is not ambitious. It's extremely aggressive. How can families voice concerns about a plan they had not been clearly explained to them? How can students weigh in when they haven't been informed? How can the community support a vision they don't know is being built? Silence is not approval. You've heard the public at meetings, through emails, and through the petition. Their voices should matter. I urge you to pause this plan, engage the community honestly, and ensure that transparency and student opportunity drive your decisions. Thank you.

Jared Obstfeld: Good evening. I'm Brenda Steffon. I am speaking for Jared, who is celebrating Hanukkah tonight. Good evening members of the board. My name is Jared Obstfeld, executive board member of Friends of AI, a former

student and graduate of the Red Clay Consolidated School District, a concerned parent and an advocate for better education in Newcastle County. Over the past few weeks, I've spoken with neighbors in multiple parts of the

district, including families who live right near McKean, and many of them have no idea that there is a plan on the table to convert McKean High School into an innovation center or to significantly reconfigure our high schools and attendance zones. At the same time, the Redding Consortium is actively considering a redistricting option that will affect all of Newcastle County school districts and students either either positively or negatively depending on the performance or proper research and data collected on community-based needs, current educational deficiencies within our school, student and family support, transportation, and financial impact. That disconnect is alarming. On November 19th, parents and staff came to this very Board and testified that outreach around the McKean Innovation Center and related moves was insufficient, pointing out that a key district survey only reached a roughly 30% of families and was open for just eight days in the summer. They asked for clearer timelines, transportation plans, and enrollment impacts and did not get concrete answers that night. This isn't the first time communication and transparency have been questioned. Young versus Red Clay. The Court of Chancery described how during the 2015 tax referendum, the district's campaign strategy focused on mobilizing likely yes voters while deliberately avoiding outreach to seniors and other residents who might be a no. And a few years ago, this board itself complained to the EPA without delays in informing schools and parents about elevated lead levels in school water. A stark reminder of how dangerous slow or selective information can be. I'm asking you to commit to a proactive equitable communication by considering the following methods of community outreach and inclusion. Clear plain language website for the McKean innovation center and any redistricting proposals with facts, maps, timelines and translate it to major languages spoken in our community. Send district-wide emails and text messages when big proposals or surveys launch. Mail summaries in every household and affected zones and not just backpack flyers. Thank you for your time.

Brenda Steffon: Good evening. My name is Brenda Steffon, AI High School class of '88 and Board member of Friends of AI, a community of alumni originally brought together by our late band director Paul Perets. We continue in that legacy to understand what is happening and to advocate for the students, educators, and families of AI High School who rely on this district. Over the past year, our board has attended A to Z enrollment and

School Board meetings to listen, ask questions, and stay focused on what our community is experiencing. While we do not speak for McKean or Dickinson alumni, we stand in solidarity with their calls for greater transparency. As Friends of AI, our role is to press for the clarity and accountability these decisions require. AI high school enrollment continues to decline as several district buildings need significant and more efficient upkeep. At the same time, the

district is launching the McKean Innovation Center, a major structural shift that raises important questions about transportation, staffing, resource distribution, and long-term sustainability. We are not opposing new pathways for students, but these questions must be answered clearly for this plan to be put into action districtwide. Families need to understand how these changes will work in practice. These decisions overlap with other dynamic changes. Most recently, the Redding Consortium's decision for one Northern Delaware school district in review handling 45,000 students across the district. Families tell us that they are not receiving consistent communication about any of this. Some learned of major proposals only through social media or word of mouth and not through the district. When communication breaks down, the meaningful participation from the community becomes impossible. Our

request tonight is direct. First, provide quarterly public updates with clear information on major proposals, financial implications, resource shifts, and expected student impact. Families need one reliable point of reference, not short window surveys, or hard to find documents. Second, strengthen how information is delivered. Families across Wilmington, Hockessin, Newark, and Pike Creek are not receiving timely updates. Effective communication requires repeated outreach, multilingual and ASL access, digital and print materials, and in-person sessions that match community schedules. If the district wants meaningful input, it must make participation at multiple entry points possible. Friends of AI will continue to show up. We expect a district at that will meet this moment with the commitment, clarity, and responsibility these decisions require. Thank you very much.

Becky Orr: Thank you so much for letting me speak tonight.  I do also want to come here and just ask for a stop or a slowdown for the proposed McKean Innovation Center. I believe there needs to be greater transparency, communication, and community involvement regarding the Innovation Center and the changes that may be connected to it. Many parents, teachers, and students are still very unclear on how this plan will be implemented, what the timeline truly looks like, how and why decisions are being made. A lot of parents don't even know anything about it. I think if more knew, there'd be more people speaking tonight. It has not been broadcast like it said, like people have said to current McCain or Red Clay parents or students at all or in a clear open way. Current students and staff at McKean, they're in a particularly difficult position. They're going to be asked to make choices or choices are going to just be made for them that affect friendships, trusted teachers, and established support systems. These aren't small decisions, especially for students who rely on stability and routine to succeed. Transportation is another major concern.Just regular bus systems to and from school we all know is already a challenge let alone adding transportation in the middle of the day for regular students and special ed students. Also, what about students that are in sports, band, best buddies, etc. They have a sense of community with them with their groups. What are they going to do when they have to choose a school to go to or they just get put into a school in their senior year? Do they go with the one teacher they like or the other teacher they like? Do they even have a choice? Where are their friends going to go? McKean's a really strong school with a very proud community. And right now, we feel that changes are happening to us rather than with us. And that sense of losing community, it's painful. This really deserves attention. I respectfully ask the district to stop or at least really slow this process down to ensure meaningful transparency, open forums for parents and teachers, clear communication for students and staff who are directly affected. Awareness and voice do matter, not after the decisions are finalized by someone that's not even in the school building, but while they're still being worked on. Red Clay, you you know they say their goal is student success, but I don't believe that the Innovation Center is the answer to this goal and that's it. Thank you.

Steven Fackenthall: My name is Steven Fackenthall, general music teacher at Richey Elementary and proud president of the Red Clay Education Association. I'm here tonight to speak about the McKean Innovation Center. First off, I'd like to begin by thanking the district and Mr. Pruitt for offering to meet with any staff who have questions or concerns about the programming changes. I continue to push this opportunity to buildings. I also appreciate the work that has gone into collaborating with RCEA on processes for staff movement. Those efforts matter and have been noticed. All that said, I do want to emphasize an area that still needs attention. Staff buyin. While processes and timelines are important, the long-term success of any program depends on the people implementing it, believing in the vision, and understanding the value of the change. At this point, I do not believe that has happened. I encourage district to focus intentionally on building that trust and shared understanding because the success of these programming changes will ultimately be determined not just by how well they are planned but how strongly the people doing the work believe in them. I'd like to remind the board of a similar situation about 10 years ago when the district with Board approval decided to close Richardson Park Learning Center and Central Schools that were amazing at supporting students with special needs and dedicated resources to support those students. The district doubled down that resources would follow the students. Staff, including me, at the time continued to ask how those resources would follow as you couldn't split people. Needless to say, the schools closed and I would say we have never fully replicated the success of those programs. We should learn from our mistakes and do it better. This needs to happen with staff. With efficacy, you'll get the buyin and support to make these changes successful. And as you know, our working conditions are our students' learning conditions. I appreciate your time and happy holidays. 

Shaun Orr: Thank you, District leadership and Board, for providing us this opportunity. I would like to talk today about the Innovation Center. Particularly ask the Board to strongly consider the long-term effects of their actions. But I'm going to focus primarily on individuals with disabilities and transportation of those individuals during the midday. So while transportation may seem like a small part of the school day for many of our students, particularly those with disabilities, these transitions can be one of the most challenging moments they face. Many special education students rely on routine and predictability to feel safe and ready to learn. Midday bus rides, such as the ones required for student access to the innovation center, disrupt that routine. These interruptions can cause anxiety, sensory overload, and behavioral challenges, especially for students with emotional and behavioral or sensory needs. The effects of these transitions don't stop when the bus ride ends. Students often return to class dysregulated, leading to lost instructional time and difficulty re-engaging in learning. Even short disruptions can have a lasting impact on a student's ability to meet their educational goals. Transportation services are important and transportation by all means is necessary. However, it is our responsibility to ensure these transitions are as supportive as possible. Better scheduling, consistent drivers or aids, clear communication, and intentional transition supports can make a meaningful difference for students with disabilities and students without disabilities. All things considered, there is no guarantee that all of those supports will be consistently available for students with disabilities. And if they were able to be provided consistently, it still begs the question, why subject the most vulnerable population of students to that disruption in lieu of alternative solutions? Given the unpredictability of those independent factors, it is probable that students with special needs may not have access to vital parts of their educational experience. When we plan with empathy and purpose, we reduce stress, protect instructional time, and create a more inclusive environment for our students, which was Red Clay's push for including students into McKean and other comprehensive schools. Addressing midday bus transitions is not just a logistical issue. It's an opportunity to better support the whole child, including children with special needs and the most vulnerable population. Thank you for your time and your commitment to all students.

Andrew Cleaver: Evening Board. From what I'm hearing and everything going on here, we're talking about budgeting, we're talking about cost, stuff like that as well. What about financial transparency here? What's going on? Back on December 1st when I was here, the biggest question you guys were asking about all this Redding Consortium was the data for finances and stuff. The transparency the School Board should be liable for here because I brought yup a subject back on December 1st where we talked about the grading system, Infinite Campus, and also the progress book, because of my son and what we experienced. Today we actually learned, his mother and I called a special meeting to figure out what was going on. And one thing that was discovered by a State Rep is that the Infinite Campus isn't working. What I'm asking for is transparency. We found out today that there's actually a pilot program that we didn't realize what was going on for the building based autism class. That's there's no spelling words coming home, nothing like this. What I think people are asking for is transparency. Even in the facilities and buildings and maintenance. Because back on December 2 there was another Redding Consortium held for special education right here at this school. Didn't say which one or what building but apparently one building, I don't know what district, the elevator was not working and a student in a wheelchair, there's a few people that heard this, the child had to be carried up and down the stairs. Now, one, that's an ADA violation. Two, that's a fire violation. Three, that's a civil rights violation. I believe what people are asking for here is transparency. With the Innovation Center, people want to know what's going on. And it's like there's a clear understanding of another transparency. I don't know if you guys are aware of it. 3600 Mill Creek Road. What do you guys have planned for that? Because it was bought by the State of Delaware for $4.3 million and then transferred to Red Clay Consolidated School District. Where's the transparency? Thank you and have a good evening. 

⏯ 1:00:12

Dorrell Green: Reimagining Secondary Education. I know there was a call for more transparency and one of the things was a dedicated website. So we will be launching and it will go live as a dedicated web page to learn more about Red Clay's plan to expand access to CTE pathways through the McKean Innovation Center, industry recognized credentials, early college credit and hands-on innovation experiences at the Thomas McKean Innovation Campus. And again, I will publicly say this to the Board and we've heard a number of public commenters. We have really one time upon us to get it right and you know whatever the Board's desire is and collectively as a community for us to get it right I sit here as a Superintendent putting it out there that whatever we need to do to to make sure that happens. 

There was a vote last evening with the Redding Consortium to look at moving forward with an option of a Newcastle County consolidated school district. Now, regardless of whatever happens with Redding, we're still responsible for the students who are under our charge in our care, including our staff members as well. And if we need to go slow to go fast, the reality of it is we're competing with ourselves in Red Clay. We've highlighted that through the Attendance Zone committee reports. We've looked at 20-year data analysis. We have a middle school that for 50 years has served anywhere from 700 to 750 students that's now sitting at 381. 

We're the microcosm of choice and charter in terms of how we've really taken our student enrollment and expanded opportunities. However, the overall enrollment hasn't grown in our district. And so, we are at a tipping point where we have to do something. And collectively, however, we do that with the committee, the status quo just isn't going to get it. So, we have to figure out what that change is and really truly provide more opportunities for students and have a clear vision. And if that means again, we got to do our due diligence to communicate that more broadly, we stand at the ready to do so. But one or two things are going to happen: Either change is going to happen for us or it's going to happen to us. 

And so, however, we can collectively work together with our community to ensure that we are making clear-eyed change, but also not allowing legacy and history to anchor us in the past and allow ourselves to move forward so that our students of today have opportunities. Our communities don't have - we're not the chemical, we're not the credit card, we're not the corporate capital of the world. We're not the car  - So a high school diploma of just simply getting a diploma and getting a job and going into an industry within Delaware, that period is long gone. So it does require innovation. It requires integration. It requires some hard decisions that have to be made. But we have to be clear-eyed about what does this mean for the learner of today and future learners of tomorrow. And you know going through that Redding process clearly seeing that people made decisions and even in Red Clay made decisions in a moment in time. You know, Mr. Fackenthall just alluded to what this building used to mean to so many and that decision in 2010. So much of what we're doing is because of previous decisions that were made, right? 

Making ourselves competitive within the district, prioritizing within the district to the point that we've cannibalized enrollment within the district and being clear-eyed about when certain schools were at their peak, it was at the expense of other Red Clay schools. So, we have to be clear out about what we're talking about and how we're talking about it. And unfortunately, a lot of that wasn't known. And so, we again have to focus on that. But, we will have an active website that will go live tomorrow to provide updated information. We'll work with our comm's department. We'll continue to engage with the McKean staff and others as we continue to move through this process. 

And ultimately, whatever the decision that the Board makes, we'll work and address accordingly.

⏯ 1:06:37

Devon Hynson: Am I allowed to ask a question?

Dorrell Green: If you would like to.

Devon Hynson: So, what I think I heard from the community is that there wasn't enough transparency, right? And it sounds like the way that we scheduled this was to do it this way. So it wouldn't make sense to repeat the same thing that we did last time and expect a different result this time. 

Dorrell Green: So we're not, well this is selecting community representatives to express interest in participating in the committee that the board established.

Devon Hynson: Right. And I think that is where the challenge comes in because there could be people that in that envelope that wanted to participate, right? And because they weren't selected, they weren't able to.

Dorrell Green: They can still participate. They just wouldn't be committee members because the Board has a framework in terms of the number of people that serve on a committee.

Devon Hynson: Right. But it sounds like it's structured in a way that they come and they speak at the mic. They're not really participants. 

Dorrell Green: No, it's a committee. This isn't - so, this is selecting members to serve on a committee. So they're selecting public names of people who express interest and serving in a formal capacity on a Board committee. So they're selecting two people and individuals from each of your respective nominating districts. And then those whose names aren't selected, who express interest, will still have the ability, but they're just not formal committee members

because the committee itself has a member from each nominating district, which is the framework for a Board committee.

Devon Hynson: I guess my point is every other committee, they're not really participants. They're commenters. Like they're not able to just come, sit at the table and be included in the conversations and the decision-making, right? Where you have a chair, you have people that are there, that are involved, the people that are voting members, and everybody else can just make a comment, but they can't really give their input. There's really not a substantive way for them to be included. 

Susan Sander: May I interject a point of order at this point? 

Devon Hynson: Okay. 

Susan Sander: When we established this committee, Attendance Zone and Restructuring committee, it was always meant to be a listening session for the public. It was never meant to be interactive. Our job as a Board is to oversee the planning of the Innovation Center. We have now given it to the district and said plan it. Plan it to the best of your abilities and keep us informed every step of the way. This review committee is how we are doing that. These committees, this committee is open to the public. These meetings will not be in private. They will be on Zoom. Open to the public. These are the representatives from these districts who will then hear the information about the plans and have the ability to take it back to their community, back to their schools, back to the parents who are saying they're not informed. Now, we're giving them one more communication method. 

Devon Hynson: Okay. So, what I'm hearing is that you're okay with it just being a listening session for the community. 

Susan Sander: Yeah.

Devon Hynson: So, what I'm making clear is that as a Board member, I think that that's fundamentally unfair for the community to be locked out and just be able to listen and not be included in the conversation. That's it. So, if that's the way it goes, that's the way it goes. But I'm just telling you, my perspective is I just don't think that's fair.

⏯ 1:14:27 Board discussion resumes

Dorrell Green: At this point we need the Board to determine which of the three Board members would like to participate. Not everyone raise your hand at once. 

Susan Sander: So are we asking for Board members now?

Dorrell Green: So for your committee there are three Board representatives who will participate in that. And so now we have to determine which of the three Board members would like to participate, have the time and the availability to serve on the committee. 

Vic Leonard: I would like to put my hat in the ring since I’ve been with it from the beginning.

Devon Hynson: Absolutely.

Susan Sander: I’d like to put my name in. 

Beth Twardus: I would as well.

Dorrell Green: So, we have four Board members who would put their name in. 

Susan Sander: Do we duke it out? 

Dorrell Green: Well, I don't want you to duke it out.

Vic Leonard: Wrestle, right? 

Dorrell Green: And again, I think because they're public meetings, just being mindful these meetings will be noticed. And so if you have three active members serving, it does not prohibit from a previous ruling that we had for other Board members to engage as participants, but the fourth would not, in essence, actively engage. So if you have three -

Vic Leondard: and an alternate

Dorrell Green: Well if you want an alternate you can have an alternate. But again it just really takes you three of you, or four of you, we simply put it in there if you want it.

Susan Sander: I do not know how to resolve it. 

Jose Matthews: No, you just sign up. There's -

Beth Twardus: So, somebody just has to step out.

Susan Sander: Somebody has to step out.

Cross talking 

Devon Hynson: The challenge is if you're of the opinion that you think that it's just a reporting committee, why would you want to participate? 

Beth Twardus: Devon, I can't hear you. 

Devon Hynson: What I'm saying is if you're of the opinion that that's just like a reporting committee, then why would you want to actively participate? Just wait for the report, right? Like let other people that believe that the committee should be developed as a way of engagement and parent and family engagement and inclusion, right? Like if you're of the opinion that that shouldn't take place in that committee, just wait for us to come and report to you what happened in that committee. That would make sense - 

Susan Sander: Once again

Devon Hynson: That would be logic.

Susan Sander: The idea of the committee was to be a listening session. There will be no input and that was clearly stated. There will be no input. These are listening sessions.

Devon Hynson: Right. And I appreciate that. But what I'm saying is if that's your stance -

Susan Sander: Yeah.

Devon Hynson: I don't understand what would make you want to actively participate -

Susan Sander: He stumped me. That question is not making any sense. I'm sorry. 

Devon Hynson: Maybe somebody can ask it another way. Jose, can you ask it a different way?

Jose Matthews: I don't know if I can rephrase your words. Essentially, I think what's being asked is why do we have Board participation when ultimately the Board ends up receiving the reports and approving the outcome anyway? Is that correct? 

Devon Hynson: Correct. That would be the appropriate approach. 

Jose Matthews: So the proposal would be for the Board members to step back. Correct?

Devon Hynson: Correct. If you're of that opinion.

Jose Matthews:  No, no. I'm just asking that. Is that what you're asking? 

Susan Sander: That was the stated purpose. I apologize. 

Jose Matthews: Don't worry, no no. 

Susan Sander: Point of order. That is the stated purpose. It is not my opinion. It is simply the charge that we were given as a board for this committee. It is not my opinion. It is what this committee was intended to do. Listening session. We need to hear from the experts. We need to hear the district and how the plans are going to proceed. Pure and simple. 

Devon Hynson: Sounds like we need to figure out who's going to be on the committee and who's not. 

Naj Landis: I'd like to say that I'm on no committees yet, so I'd like to be a part of one. 

Dorrell Green: So, in fairness to Ms. Landis, I think she should have the first selection. And again, that's I, as only the Executive Secretary advise the Board. 

Devon Hynson: I agree.

Dorrell Green: And I will say I agree - hearing the discussion. Please know that we did give an alternate proposal to actually have a work group that would have done two things:  really engaged folks as an advisory and serve in that process. But we find ourselves where we are right now that we have it as a structured board committee. So it's going to, in essence, require three board members to serve in an official capacity. So Miss Landis is one. Now you need two others.

Devon: I'm in. 

Susan Sander: I'm putting my name in.

Devon Hynson: So it will be us three. 

Dorrell Green: So can we agree, Mr. Leonard? I know you were the fourth. Are you willing to take one for the team because you will be informed and actively engaged to allow Ms.Landis, Ms. Sanders, and Mr. Hynson to serve in the Board capacity.

Vic Leonard: Of course.

Naj Landis: Thank you.

Dorrell Green: That's very noble of you, Mr. Leonard. Thank you, members of the Board. So we have that established. Are we okay with moving forward?

⏯ 2:06:34

Susan Sander: We went over the McKean Innovation center. Mark Pruitt was kind enough to present the slide presentation again and it was wonderful. There were a lot of questions, a lot of answered questions. It was an excellent, excellent presentation. 

🌐Secondary Attendance Zone & Programming Committee Webpage 

📁Secondary Attendance Zone & Programming Committee Rolling Slides 

📄Red Clay Attendance-Zone & Programming Committee July 2025 Recommendation to the School Board For convenience, the full text of the document is typed below. 

Red Clay Attendance-Zone & Programming Committee Current Recommendation to the School Board

Core Principles

Alignment of Attendance-Zones: Create straight line feeder patterns that align high school attendance zones with existing middle school attendance-zones. 

Balanced Enrollment: Distribute students equitably across attendance-zone high schools. 

Program Equity: Ensure that all students, regardless of high school, have access to high-quality academic and extracurricular programs. 

Program Change #1: Establish the “Thomas McKean Innovation Campus” The committee recommends that Thomas McKean High School be reimagined as the Thomas McKean Innovation Campus through expanded partnerships with local colleges, universities, and the business community. This flagship hub will provide coursework in the following areas: 

• Career and Technical Education (CTE)

• Industry-standard credentialing programs

Early college credit opportunities As part of this change:

• The number of comprehensive high school attendance-zone schools would be reduced from three to two: Alexis I. duPont High School and The John Dickinson School. 

• These two comprehensive high schools would split the Red Clay high school attendance-zones equally, allowing for increased enrollment and more robust academic and extracurricular offerings. 

• These two attendance-zones better align with middle school attendance-zones, allowing for straight line feeder patterns from middle school to high school. 

• Short shuttle bus transportation would be provided from AI High and Dickinson to the McKean Innovation Campus for career, technical, and early college coursework. 

Program Change #2: Relocate the John Dickinson Middle Years Program (MYP) 

To allow for increased high school enrollment at The John Dickinson School, the committee recommends relocating the MYP middle school program from Dickinson to Skyline Middle School, allowing for a more balanced enrollment across the middle schools. 

• Additional Recommendations for Future Consideration

• Middle School Attendance-Zones: Reevaluate middle school attendance-zones, especially as they pertain to the Warner Elementary School community, to improve feeder pattern continuity and equity. Virtual High School Programming: Explore the development of virtual high school coursework to expand flexibility and learning opportunities for Red Clay students.

📋Citizens Budget Oversight Committee December 9th, 2025 Meeting Minutes For convenience, the full meeting minutes are typed below. 

Citizens Budget Oversight Committee Meeting 

December 9th, 2025 District Office- Board Room/ 6:00 pm 

Attendees: Community Members: Bob Chase, Ken Davis, Lynne McIntosh, Marianne Roken, Ray Sander, Cathy Thompson Building Reps; (Anthony Gray- Bolden, Kendra Todd-Dixon, Mark Vankerhoven) RCEA Rep: Amy Mirolli) BOE Members: Susan Sander, Vic Leonard, Sr. Red Clay Chief Operating Officer: Ted Ammann; Staff: Steven Andrzejewski, Committee Chairs: Nate Schwartz, Chris Miller

Agenda: 

Old Business: 

Approval of November 2025 minutes

Tax Reassessment Update: The property tax deadline has been extended to December 31, 2025. 

No changes since last month. 

Revenue is now 38% of what we expected to receive 

Some information on the county appeals process has been provided by the state. Stipulations process will take place first. This hearing will result in a new negotiated tax amount for the property owner. There are currently 182 owners scheduled for a full hearing. 

There is approximately $50,000,000 of assessed property value. 

Delmarva provides their own property assessments due to the utilities. There is approximately 1.4 billion in assessed property values to shared in the county. 

A bulk of the tax receipts will come in January. The February final budget report will provide an update on the revenue, but it is expected that the next few years will see some loss of revenue for the district. 

New Business:

McKean Innovation Center: Mark Pruitt presented the Secondary Attendance-Zone & Programming Committee history and current plan. 

Monthly Expenditure Report. 

The district is on target with expenditures and payroll Several of the Expended Thresholds over 60% were discussed. 

Public comment 

Next Meeting is scheduled for January 13th, 2026 in the District Office

🌐Reimagining Secondary Education Thomas McKean Innovation Campus District webpage 

🌐School Choice in Red Clay 

🌐Redding Consortium Redistricting Materials 

📄Redding Consortium Plan and Process