Apr 15 2026
Board Meeting

1. Public Comment
   ⏯11:38

2. Presentation: High School Attendance Zone Changes Recommendation
   ⏯1:50:04 

3. Postponement of the McKean Innovation Center Resolution Board Discussion and Vote
   ⏯2:16:07

⏯11:38 Ryan Reamer: Good evening, members of the school board. My name is Ryan and I'm a student from Thomas McKean High School. I've spoken here before and I'm here again because the way this decision has been handled has made one thing very clear. Our community is not being heard. Over the past several months, students, parents, teachers, and community members have shown up again and again. People have spoken at meeting after meeting, not just from our school, but from across the district. We organized, we asked questions, we tried to be a part of the process.

But it seems no matter how many people speak, the outcome has already been decided. There is a petition with around 2,700 signatures opposing this plan. 2,700 people in this community who took the time to say very clearly that they don't support what's happening. I organized a walkout with around 300 students to make sure their voices were visible.

Parents have come here worried about their children. Teachers and staff have spoken about what this means for the school programs and the environment that exists here. The environment that they know like the back of their hands. And still, it feels like none of this has mattered. I implore you to ask yourself who this decision is for. It's not for the McKean community. We've made that clear. I've spoken to students from both AI and Dickinson and neither of them really understands the point, and this decision has absolutely not been made or even considered the students in the Meadowood program. We are the only school in the district with this program. Our building has been designed and adapted to support those students. The structure, the classroom, the programs themselves are built around their needs.

These students and their families deserve stability and respect. And many of the parents and students involved in the Meadowood program are just as upset and concerned about this plan as the rest of us. When decisions like this are made without truly listening to the people affected most, it sends a message that their needs are an afterthought.

This is bigger than one plan or one building. This is about trust. School boards are supposed to represent the communities they serve. You are supposed to listen to the people who elected you and the students whose futures you are shaping. Right now, it doesn't feel like that's happening. You're failing us. So, what I'm asking is simple: actually listen to your community. Not just during public comment, not just as a formality, but in a real and meaningful way. Because right now, thousands of people are telling you the same thing. And ignoring that doesn't make concerns go away.

We care about our school. We care about our programs, including Meadowood. And we care about being part of decisions that affect our education and our community. Listen to the people you're supposed to be serving and stop moving forward the plan to convert Thomas McKean into an Innovation Center. Thank you.

⏯14:39Aziza Rejab: Good evening. My name is Aziza Rajab and I'm in ninth grade at Thomas McKean High School. Today I am speaking my poem about McKean's community thoughts on the Innovation Center. Our future is at stake by Aziza Rajab.

Concerns of parents, teachers, and students raise your ears. Should McKean's community really have to shed any tears? This transition will not destroy our pride. Our schools rivalry will cause a divide. Some of us won't even be able to come back. Empty locker rooms with sports uniforms on a rack.

Teachers worry if you have enough seats for us all. Taxpayers wonder if their pockets will end up bald. Students worry for their futures and education. Parents wonder if you will stop giving us misinformation.

We all believe that this plan is ill-advised. McKean's community wants a better compromise. This is our school with our voices trapped inside. All of our futures are in your hands to decide. Thank you.

⏯16:07 Michael Wilson: Hello, my name is Michael Wilson. I am an autism itinerant teacher at Thomas McKean High School. 2028, that is the year that Mr. Mark Pruitt said last month at the board meeting. That was the original implementation date of this to go through. I believe at that time Dr. Green shared that the date was moved up one year because of everything with the New Castle County School District proposal coming through and being added into it. However, one should not force the other to start sooner at the end of the point of that. That's going to take at least five years. So there is no reason to half-ass, pardon my language, the Thomas McKean Center, if we truly want to get this thing done right and correct, let's take the time to actually do it the right way.

At the meeting in March, Mr. Pruitt gave a detailed presentation as he could with the data that he had available at the time, and thank you for that presentation. Why don't we delay until we have all the proper data, and then we can adequately prepare this so students could truly be set up for success. I believe in March he shared that the full attendance zone data will be ready around June at the earliest. And at that time, we could figure out the beginning of the true budget numbers relating to transportation numbers in the AM as well as the PM, which I believe, you know, Mr. Hynson, you brought up in the board meeting last time.

Once the district has these true attendance zone numbers, then maybe the district could do a mass communication—telephone, email, text—sent out to all the high schools and the middle schools' parents explaining to them that as of blank year, your son or daughter will be attending Dickinson or AI.

Another suggestion I have is if we know those numbers by either June of this year, June of next year, whenever it is depending on how the vote goes tonight, it would allow the district to let the parents of the eighth-grade students know that McKean would no longer be an option for their son or daughter for whatever school year it is going forward. Thus, forcing the students of those parents to make a choice to either send their child to their assigned high school or attempt to choose the other one.

I just want to make a point that, I know I only have three minutes to speak, so as recommended by a colleague, I sent out part of my message to you guys and I emailed that out to the board about my proposed phase-in plan idea. Mr. Hynson, thank you for taking the time to read that and respond.

In conclusion, I just want to share a few names with you: Thomas Alexander, Kaina Frazier, Messiah Taylor, Ricky Blanco, Daniel Vazguetta. These are some of my current tenth-grade students that I currently work with who, if the McKean Innovation Center stays on schedule, will have to do their 12th-grade school year at a different school. As was mentioned in the March meeting by many different commentators, that will likely have a variety of negative impacts such as increased anxiety, socialization issues, and transition fears, as well as loss of friends. Again, if we want to do it right, take the time to plan it out properly or just don't do it at all. Thank you for taking the time to listen to me.

⏯19:26 Tovah Dockens: Good evening, members of the school board. I'm here to speak up against the motion of turning McKean into an Innovation Center. When I think about McKean, I think about the people and the growth that shaped me. A teacher, Miss Stokes, helped me build confidence in my writing. When I was stressed about my college essay, she stayed after school to help me. And that essay became one of the reasons I got into the number one HBCU. That moment showed me that McKean is more than just a school. It's a community.

When I was going through challenges at home, my McKean family and friends, teachers, and counselors supported me. When I thought I might not return to finish my senior year, I realized how much I would miss the small things: the hallways, the conversations, my teachers, and my teammates. The bonds I built here will stay with me for life.

Programs like Meadowood, Unified Sports, and Best Buddies gave me meaningful connections and changed my perspective in a positive way. And through the arts program, I stepped out of my comfort zone. I auditioned for Beetlejuice, terrified, but that experience built my confidence and gave me friendships and memories I'll never forget. McKean isn't just a place to learn, it's a place to belong, and no innovation center can replace the relationships and opportunities that already exist here. Thank you.

⏯20:56 Andrea Arena: Good evening, board members. As I stand before you all for the third time, both as a concerned member of the public at large and the mother of a non-verbal child with disabilities that currently attends the Meadowood program in Red Clay within McKean High School, I'm here to speak about three points: stopping the McKean Innovation Center, the current attendance zone and restructuring plan to redistrict, and the lack of clear communication from the Red Clay administration.

Stopping the McKean Innovation Center—there's some great reasons to stop it. There's no plan. There's no budget in place. There's been no community input or data taken to ensure transparency and accountability. There's been an overage of misinformation. So much so, the public at large to date still does not understand what the McKean Innovation Center idea is and how it will impact their child's education. For example, the McKean Innovation Center is not a vo-tech school. If it were, it would not be within Red Clay; it would be a part of the New Castle County Vo-Tech School District. It is not. It's merely a career sampling program and should have been presented as such from the beginning. There's been an extreme lack of public transparency, especially regarding impending school tax increases to offset the costs to implement the McKean Innovation Center idea.

And the Meadowood program, the special education program for individuals with disabilities that resides within McKean High School currently, has never been considered. To date, the Meadowood program has been treated as an absolute afterthought. And this mistreatment of the special education community that resides within McKean High School would directly affect those students who currently participate in pathways at McKean High School. And very important to note, to date, an ADA study of Alexis I. duPont High School has not been completed.

The current attendance zone and restructuring plan to redistrict: at the March 25th meeting, I saw on the plan that you presented that the city of Wilmington is being bused to Alexis I. duPont High School. This current plan reeks of segregation and an impending lawsuit in the making. I would urge the members of this school board to both challenge and rethink this current plan prior to voting.

And the lack of clear communication from the Red Clay administration: the Red Clay website is not user-friendly, and members of the public at large are still required to search for information on the McKean Innovation Center idea. A suggestion was made by a current board member to create a tab on the Red Clay website to provide a clear path to transparency. That logical and helpful idea was disregarded at the March 25th meeting. Since that meeting, communication on both the website and emails continues to include misinformation and important missing information, creating further confusion, resulting in further unacceptable levels of a lack of transparency to the public at large. Thank you for your immediate attention, advocacy, and action to stop the McKean Innovation Center idea, reimagine the redistricting plan, and proceed with clearer communication and transparency on all points moving forward.

⏯27:24 Shaun Orr: Good evening board members and thank you for your service. My name is Sean Orr. Before I start, I want to share that my son, a McKean graduate, is wrapping up his freshman year at university. He is a four-year scholarship recipient and presently has a 3.8-plus GPA. He is also a person with autism. I mention him because it was the supports provided by the McKean staff, along with his efforts, that contributed and continue to influence his academic success. I am convinced that had he gone to a different school, he would have had an entirely different story, and for that, his mother and I are grateful.

There's been a lot of talk about numbers, specifically the population of students at Alexis I. duPont High School. And while that is an important part of the picture, it is far from the entire picture. I'm going to share some other numbers. Presently, there are two magnet schools and two charter schools serving Red Clay high school students, in addition to the three feeder high schools. All the magnet and charter schools require students to apply for admission. Presently, application-only schools make up over half of the high schools in the district. If McKean is converted to an innovation center, that percentage increases to 67%, or two-thirds of the high schools. That means there will only be one feeder high school for every two application-only schools. This essentially presents Red Clay as a publicly funded, quasi-private school district.

Furthermore, while still discussing numbers, when the student demographics of the three existing feeder schools are compared to those of the four application-only schools, it is clear that the three feeder schools serve and support populations that are often underrepresented minorities, low-income students, and students with special needs, whereas the application-only schools primarily serve historically well-represented groups.

Let me be clear: this is not an indictment of any particular person or the board as a whole. This is not a diatribe against magnet and charter schools. It is, however, a statement that if we're going to discuss numbers, then we need to be actively looking at all the numbers, not just the numbers convenient to the narrative being promoted with the Innovation Center. In conclusion, I fail to see the innovation in creating a publicly funded, quasi-private school district by closing a feeder school while simultaneously preserving the structure of four application-only schools that serve already underrepresented populations. Students with unique needs and circumstances shouldn't be collateral damage. Thank you.

⏯30:13 Traci Dobrowolski: Thank you for allowing me to speak tonight again. My son Braden is a sophomore at McKean. He has autism as well as an intellectual disability and anxiety. He is in a Setting B with a shared para. We picked McKean because of the high special needs population. Braden is thriving at McKean and has made friends and played sports through the Unified Sports program.

Please vote to pause or cancel plans for the Innovation Center. Please think of the kids that are already thriving at McKean and won't be able to graduate from there. Why are we making McKean, which is already successful, change? We have kids that don't always fit in, but at McKean they do. Please don't take that away. Braden wants to graduate a Highlander and not a Ram or a Tiger. Thank you.

⏯31:16 Mike Cole: Good evening, members of the board. Last month, I stood here and spoke about the extraordinary special education program at McKean and the life-changing impact it has had on my daughter. I want to be very clear: McKean's program for special ed is not just good, it is exceptional—truly exceptional. And the result of years—and I mean years—of dedication by teachers, administrators, and paraprofessionals who have built a culture of trust, alignment, and deep commitment to the students and their families. This kind of culture cannot simply be split in two, and it cannot be dismantled and recreated somewhere else. Certainly not in 16 months.

These programs are not just based on paper, meaning on the mandates of the kids' IEPs. These are built on relationships, built on support systems. These are meant for children who depend on consistency, stability, and people who truly know them.

I do understand that enrollment is declining and that change is necessary, and I recognize that difficult decisions must be made. Whether that means moving forward with the McKean Innovation Center or considering reinventing Alexis I. duPont, that's not up to me. Responsible change takes time. It requires methodical planning, thoughtful implementation, and a transition period that minimizes disruption. Minimizes disruption not only for students, but for families and for the educators.

At the last meeting, we heard from Mr. Mark Pruitt, who is a respected and experienced administrator and teacher in the district. You entrusted him and his committee to guide the process. And according to what he said at the last meeting, they said they needed until 2028 to do this, right? Your response was to move the timeline up to 2027. So I ask, if the very people you want and ask to lead this work are telling you that your timeline is too aggressive, I would urge you to listen to them. Rushing this process does not demonstrate leadership; it risks causing real harm. Harm to students who rely on stability, and harm to families who are already navigating complex challenges.

There will be negative consequences, intended or unintended, as a result of forcing this plan forward on an unrealistic timeline. The impact on special ed students, on vulnerable populations, and on the Meadowood program alone demands more time to gather information and more thought. I am asking you to slow down, to listen to your own experts, to choose a path that prioritizes doing this right. Thank you.

⏯34:51 Adriene Fields: Good evening. Can you hear me? Yes. This is Adrien Fields, vice president of the Red Clay Para Association. My desire today is to please postpone the implementation of the McKean Innovation Center to simply ensure adequate planning, communication, and student transition. Thank you very much.

⏯35:25 Morgan Dukes: Hello board members. I am a McKean alumni and current staff member, and I want to acknowledge the proposed resolution for the McKean Innovation Center. This resolution includes a phased transition plan, comprehensive communication strategy, documented student engagement, staff training, direct outreach to families, an equity analysis, IDEA compliance review, and a full operational impact report. All of these items reflect many of the concerns that have been raised for months by staff, families, and even students.

This updated version raises the bar. It requires documentation, public transparency, measurable outcomes, and a formal vote before moving forward. That is meaningful progress because the concern from our community is not just about what is written in the plan; it's about fidelity of implementation. We've seen processes where boxes are checked, meetings are held, and materials are distributed, but the deeper purpose is not achieved. Information is shared, but it's not understood. Engagement is offered, but it's not meaningful. Voices are heard, but they aren't reflected in the decisions.

This can't be another exercise in compliance. If this plan is paused, then the work done during that pause has to meet a higher standard. And most importantly, this board must be prepared to say no if those standards are not met. A pause without accountability is just a delay. The community is not asking for perfection; they're asking for honesty, transparency, and follow-through. I support these conditions. They're necessary, but they have to be carried out with rigor, not just checked off of a list. Before this plan moves forward, the community deserves confidence, not only in the process, but in the accountability behind it. Thank you.

⏯37:28 Lauren DiStefano: Good evening. My name is Lauren DeStefano and I'm a proud graduate of Thomas McKean High School, class of 2014. I'm here tonight to respectfully ask you to listen to your community and vote to reconsider this proposal of the Innovation Center.

McKean is not just a building; it's a community. It's a place that has shaped students like me and continues to serve the strong student population that it has today. It does not have the lowest enrollment. It is one of the fewer and newer facilities that you have in your district. So, it raises an important question to me as an alum: Why did you pick McKean? This plan was put in place and it did not consider anybody else's feelings aside from the board's.

In my opinion, this plan would require students to consider traveling from multiple places in one day. That takes away from education. That takes away from their jobs if they have jobs, families, or even different parts of learning activities and sports. Education should be accessible and not complicated.

My sophomore year, I was a part of the student body that brought back the plant science program. That current greenhouse that was 14 years old got damaged this past winter and is currently being rebuilt. This greenhouse serves a community. There are students that have put their time, energy, and effort into this type of community work, and that will go away. That is important to me. That sense of community—it's going to impact today's students and future students. It's definitely impacted me. I'm currently pursuing my master's degree in Applied Behavior Analysis at Capella and I'm projected to graduate with a 4.0 this December. I'm planning on using that degree that I am currently pursuing in the community that I came from at McKean.

This is about logistics, but it's not just that; it's also about identity. McKean is home to the Highlanders. It has pride and tradition and a strong sense of belonging. Turning it into a building—just a building—doesn't make any sense. I stand here as someone who cares deeply about their school and what it represents, not just as an alumni, but for current and future students. So please, you need to reconsider and you need to think long and hard, because at McKean, it's always a great day to be a Highlander. Thank you.

⏯39:50 Kevin Nai: Good evening. My name is Kevin Niu and I am a special education English teacher at McKean High School. Thank you for allowing me to speak tonight regarding my perspective on the plan for the McKean Innovation Center.

So, I myself happen to be on the autism spectrum, which makes a lot of the more nuanced aspects of being a teacher more challenging for me than for neurotypical educators—such as building relationships, responding effectively to challenging behaviors, and juggling the infinite responsibilities that come with being a teacher. I taught middle school for 5 years in another district and I felt like I was drowning, in spite of the countless hours I was putting in. This is my sixth year at McKean High School, but within a couple of years of working here, I knew that I wanted to work here until I retire. Our administrators capitalize on our strengths. The empowering, restorative, and truly family-oriented nature of McKean is special, and my support system here has shaped me into the teacher I am today.

I recognize, due to the declines in attendance and the attendance zone issues that are happening, that a restructure at some point in time is essential. And thanks to the way my support system at McKean has helped me to grow as a teacher, I know that I'll be successful and adjust wherever I go, even though it might be really hard—and the prospect of starting over somewhere gives me a ton of anxiety. Having more time to prepare would give me much greater peace of mind.

And I'm 34 years old with a stable home life, whereas our students at McKean are teenagers, about half my age, and many of them don't have nearly the same level of stability outside of school. So knowing how daunting it will be for me, I can't imagine how difficult that adjustment process will be for our students. Many students at McKean have been able to cultivate networks of support among our caring, organized staff, but this has taken lots of time and effort to cultivate over their high school careers. A great deal of thought and planning needs to go into the process of transitioning them to their new schools if and when this change takes place.

Giving them more time to accept and get used to the idea of the impending change by following Ms. Landis' proposal to pause the plan until all tests are completed will go a very long way. This way, staff at McKean, Dickinson, Alexis I. duPont, and at our district level can also have more time to collaborate in terms of ironing out plans to support every student. Therefore, I am strongly supporting this proposed pause of the implementation of the McKean Innovation Center. Thank you very much for your time.

⏯42:53 Thomas McGrath: Hi, my name is Tom McGrath and I'm reading for my daughter, Chloe McGrath. She wrote a nice letter:

"I'm a ninth-grade student-athlete at Thomas McKean High School. I strongly oppose the plan to change McKean from a traditional high school into an innovation center. This change would take away from the high school experience that I've worked hard for to build an environment where I feel I truly belong. I chose to attend McKean because of the education I knew I could receive here. While I understand that other schools have great teachers, this place is where I feel the most supported. I have the guidance I needed, including support from my stepmother. I have access to events and activities that are important to me. The school's wellness center is a huge part of our community; it not only supports students physically, but also provides mental health support for those who need someone to talk to.

Most importantly, McKean has helped me discover my biggest passion: volleyball. Being part of the volleyball team has helped me grow, improve, and build meaningful relationships. I've made my best friends here and developed a strong bond with my coach. This program has helped me go through difficult times and given me something positive to focus on. It truly means everything to me.

Changing schools would take me away from this support system and place me in a completely different environment, potentially alongside students from rival schools where there may already be tension. This could create unnecessary conflict and take away from the positive high school experience that so many students value. The change would not only impact students socially and emotionally, but it could also affect teachers and staff who have worked so hard for their positions. Students like me, who have dedicated time and effort to our academics and extracurriculars, may be forced into situations that don't reflect what we've worked towards. As a setter on the McKean volleyball team, I've spent years developing my skills in this position, and suddenly a change like this could take that opportunity away from me.

While I understand that this proposal may have good intentions, the speed and scale of this change feel unfair to students who care deeply about their education, their activities, and their community. Thank you for taking the time to listen to my perspective. I hope you truly listen to and consider the voices of me and other students at Thomas McKean High School."

Thank you.

⏯45:55 Jessica Kling: Yes, okay. Hi, my name is Jessica. I am the mother of five. My oldest is in the Meadowood program at McKean. She's in 10th grade with a diagnosis of autism and global delay. I have a sixth grader in a private school, two children in Marbrook's Spanish immersion program, and my youngest is in preschool.

I'm here tonight to tell you that I oppose the McKean Innovation Center. I oppose it because that means my daughter's school will be moved to Alexis I. duPont High School. She then would have to be transported back to McKean to go on her career path, which is at the childcare center. The daycare is only available at McKean. If the Innovation Center passes, we will pull our daughter her senior year because of the negative impact it will have on her.

I took the time to email all seven board members; three of them responded. Thank you, by the way. One was a generic message that I'm sure was sent to everybody who opposed this. The second one was somebody thanking me and asking if they could share my feelings with the board. And the last person who responded actually took time to meet with me and other concerned parents.

My frustration begins with the board because I feel like they make decisions without getting the community and parents' input. I know this to be a fact because a few years ago, Red Clay tried to phase out Marbrook's Spanish immersion program. But guess what? We fought back and the program is still here. Listen to parents, listen to students, listen to teachers, listen to the community. Take the time to get this right. Don't waste our time. Don't waste our money. I think the board needs to consider how this will directly affect everybody involved, including Meadowood, who is one of the most delicate communities. Thank you for your time.

⏯48:02 Erin Rivera: Hello and thank you for taking the time to listen. I am a fourth-grade teacher at North Star Elementary. I've been teaching in this district for 18 years. I love my job and I cannot imagine doing anything else. At the same time, I'm exhausted.

Teacher responsibilities are never-ending: lesson planning, grading, emails, phone calls, documenting, entering data more than once in different locations. All of this, and I haven't even mentioned teaching yet. Teachers have 225 minutes of planning time for a 5-day week. This works out to about 45 minutes a day, and the time goes quickly. Planning and preparing for lessons for one week usually takes about two hours. This includes making a plan, making copies, creating visuals, planning for differentiation, and organizing groups. Grading student work takes at least an hour and a half a week. Entering grades into Infinite Campus takes a minimum of 30 minutes a week. This equals 240 minutes a week, which already puts me 15 minutes over my allotted planning time. I still have not answered emails, made phone calls to families, or entered data for students in various online locations. This equates to multiple hours of time outside of my contract day every week. These things all need to be completed, but there's no time.

This all came to a boiling point for me during our last professional development day. Teachers were asked to drive to their home schools for an hour to read an article and answer questions. This felt like a lot of busy work. Then we were asked to figure out how we could all fight traffic to go to a building that lacks parking so we could all sit through a training on a topic we've heard many times before. It felt so disrespectful and out of touch. We need a district that understands everything teachers are being asked to do and respects them enough to give them the time to do their jobs. I know many teachers who took off that professional development day—using their own time off the clock—to go into their classrooms and complete the work for their job. It sounds ridiculous, and it is.

I'm asking the board to take a look at how much is being asked of teachers and how much time teachers have to complete their jobs. I'm pleading with the board to help the district understand that teachers need more time. If we want to see more student growth, if we want students who can read, write, and think critically, we need to value teachers enough to give them what they need: more time to do their jobs. More time for teachers will make stronger teachers, stronger lessons, and stronger students.

On an off-topic side note: as a Dickinson MYP parent, I have seen the amazing things happening at Dickinson. I really hope the district considers postponing this McKean Innovation Center change for all of the schools involved. The teachers at all of the affected schools are not receiving adequate answers to their questions, families are ill-informed, and the students are not being adequately considered with such a tight timeline. We should build this plane before we try to fly it. Thank you for supporting Red Clay teachers by encouraging the district to allocate more time to teachers so they can do their jobs. Thank you.

⏯51:19 Stacey Stokes: Hello, my name is Stacy Stokes. I'm a teacher at Thomas McKean High School. My appeal to the board is simple: support the resolution to pause the MIC.

I've been in Red Clay for 20 years. I've spent my career at McKean, and I'm going to be honest, I never planned on leaving. I still don't. The classroom is my home. The district is my home. And no matter where some people may see themselves in five years or 10 years, I've always seen myself right here in Red Clay and at McKean. That's why this matters to me, because right now I'm seeing something I haven't seen in all my years in Red Clay: division, uncertainty, and a growing sense that people aren't being heard. And that concerns me.

We teach our kids to think critically, to reflect, to learn from the past before making big decisions. And history shows us what happens when we don't. We saw it with the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster: warnings were raised, but the decision moved forward. We saw it with the Titanic sinking: the signs were there, but they didn't slow down. And we've seen it right here in Delaware: when Wilmington High School closed, it was meant to solve a problem, and yet here we are 25 years later with the Redding Consortium still working through those same challenges. We've seen it in every avoidable disaster—different situations, but the same lesson. When we move forward without clarity, without alignment, without truly listening, we don't solve the problem; we delay it.

And tonight, that responsibility sits with you. You are the eight people who decide what happens next. So I am asking you, I am beseeching you as someone who has given 20 years to the district and plans on giving 10 more, to please pause. We see the iceberg. We are just asking to slow this ship down. Thank you.

⏯53:57 Beth Wile: Hi, good evening. My name is Beth Weil. I'm a teacher at Thomas McKean High School. I want to express my agreement with the postponement resolution that's being talked about this evening.

This transition represents a major shift for students, families, educators, and our feeder school communities. Right now, there are still many unanswered questions. Students, especially those in the class of 2029 and current cohorts, deserve clarity on how they will complete their high school experience. Stability matters. We've also seen through recent student protests that students want to be heard. Their voices should be part of this process, not an afterthought. Families have raised concerns about communication and transparency, and educators need clear guidance and professional development so we can properly support our students.

This resolution is not about stopping progress. It's about doing this the right way. It calls for a pause until key conditions are met: a clear transition plan, consistent and transparent communication, meaningful student and community engagement, and proper preparation for educators and staff. By taking the time to plan carefully, we can ensure that the McKean Innovation Center is successful not just in concept, but in practice. Our students deserve both innovation and stability. We can and we should provide both. Thank you for your time and consideration.

⏯55:36 Steven Fackenthall: Good evening, board. My name is Stephen Frankenthal, music teacher at Richey Elementary and president of the Red Clay Education Association. I'm here tonight to speak about the McKean Innovation Center.

At our March 23rd Representative Council meeting, the body voted overwhelmingly for the following: "RCEA formally requests a pause on the implementation of the proposed Thomas McKean Innovation Center restructuring for a minimum of one full school year." This pause would allow for a comprehensive review, transparent communication regarding staffing implications, enrollment impact, transition planning, and ensure meaningful educator input prior to any final decisions.

This request is not a position for or against innovation. Rather, it reflects our responsibility to ensure that significant structural changes affecting working conditions proceed with clarity, defined metrics, and an authentic educator voice. This request is short. It is direct. It has been what stakeholders have been asking for a long time now. And while I cannot give an official position on it at the moment, I can safely say that our union would overwhelmingly endorse the action item before you this evening. Again, this is not a position for or against, but simply making sure deliberate, intentional, and authentic outreach is made so all parties have a heard voice in decision-making.

On a personal note, I would like to thank board members Landis and Tortella, who have actively been engaging with RCEA trying to reach those other voices who may not necessarily have an opportunity for this. So I do appreciate the collaboration you both have been doing. Remember, our working conditions are our students' learning conditions. I appreciate your time.

⏯57:37 Helen Dennis: My name is Helen Dennis. My child Sarah is a freshman in the Meadowood program at McKean High School. Sarah has complex disabilities and needs the many accommodations offered by Meadowood. She was born with a rare genetic disorder called CTNNB1 syndrome, and she is one of the more profoundly affected children with this diagnosis. Sarah is legally blind, she cannot walk or talk, and she has fine motor impairment. Her expressive communication is very limited. She also has an autism diagnosis. She needs assistance and special equipment in the restroom, and she needs ramps and elevators to access the school.

I support the postponement of the Innovation Center plan. The plan did not receive sufficient review and input from parents and educators. There needs to be more public review of Alexis I. duPont High School to determine whether it's accessible enough for the Meadowood kids. I feel unsure that Alexis I. duPont High School will be physically ready for the Meadowood kids to begin there under the original plan, and I don't feel confident that adequate funds have been budgeted for this purpose.

As for the busing of students from Conrad, Dickinson, and AI to McKean several times per week, I'm not convinced this is a good use of students' time or the district's money. Please investigate this further before moving forward. Take more time to review this proposal and get greater input from parents and educators. Thank you.

⏯59:32 Alicia Halyard: Good evening board members and district leadership. My name is Alicia Howard Thomas and I am a parent of a freshman at Thomas McKean High School. I'm here today not just as a parent, but as a voice for thousands of families who are trying to understand how a decision of this magnitude moved forward without many of us fully understanding the impact until recently.

We now know that the board voted in July to move forward with transitioning McKean into an innovation campus by 2027. While we hear the goal of expanding opportunities for students, many families are still left with more questions than answers, particularly around how this will affect our children's daily experiences, stability, and sense of belonging.

Over the past few weeks, our community has come together, and we now have over 2,000 signatures from parents, students, alumni, and community members who are asking for clarity, transparency, and meaningful involvement in this process. This is not resistance for the sake of resistance. This is a community asking to be included in decisions that directly impact our children's lives.

Our concerns are specific: How will students maintain stability when they are split between two schools? How will friendships, support systems, and school identity be preserved? What will happen to existing athletic teams, coaches, and programs that currently serve as a foundation for many students? And how will the district ensure that no student falls through the cracks during this transition?

We are not against growth. We are not against innovation, and we are not against creating more opportunities for students. But progress should not come at the cost of stability, transparency, and trust. As someone who started the petition with over 2,000 signatures, I take transparency and accountability extremely seriously. I am committed to bringing forward the voices, concerns, and lived experiences of the families who will be most impacted by these changes.

Tonight, I am asking for three things: First, continued transparency, not just in documents, but in clear, direct communication with families. Second, meaningful community involvement—not after decisions are made, but during the process of shaping how this transition will actually happen. And third, a commitment that students' well-being—academically, socially, and emotionally—remains at the center of every decision moving forward. Our children have already navigated sufficient changes over the past several years. They deserve stability and opportunity. Thank you.

⏯1:03:23 Maurice Thomas: My name is Maurice Thomas and I'm a freshman striving to be a McKean High School graduate. I am here to talk about McKean turning into an Innovation Center, which would do harm to the community by some of the teachers losing their jobs and leaving some kids without transportation getting to practice or to school in general. What I'm trying to say is some students at McKean High School only have McKean High School. You will end up taking away more than just a building. Some students only have their friends and family at that school. So once that is gone, then what are you really leaving them with? Thank you.

⏯1:04:22 Maggie Collier: Good evening and thank you for the opportunity to speak. I am a proud teacher at Thomas McKean High School, but I wanted to start my message by saying that I also support all three high schools in the Red Clay Consolidated School District and the schools in general.

So my message is that I would also support a postponement of the plan for the McKean Innovation Center because, not to repeat what has already been said, but there is not only a financial cost to this choice that would need to be transparent before moving forward, but also a human cost. And I would not want a plan to go forward that would impact all three high schools in such a way that an influx of change would potentially change the makeup of our schools, unless there is more time to fully investigate what this plan and restructuring could look like. Thank you for your time.

⏯1:06:25 Jenny Howard: Good evening. My name is Jenny Howard. I'm a Red Clay parent, a former teacher in the district, and a member of the board policy review committee. I'm also a candidate running for this school board.

I'm here tonight to talk about transparency, because what happened with Red Clay's reimagining secondary education is a case study in its absence. And what happens tonight will tell this community whether this board is listening or not. This morning, I pulled tonight's agenda attachments. The district posted high school attendance zone maps that have never been clearly presented to this community. New feeder patterns and massive enrollment shifts posted this morning, while knowing the board is scheduled to vote tonight on a resolution that would likely stop that plan. That is the appearance of a process without the substance of it.

The resolution on your agenda has 11 conditions. Every single one exists because this process failed: a transition plan never published, an IDEA compliance review never completed, a financial report that doesn't exist—not delayed, it does not exist.

But I want to be clear: the community is not asking for more time. They are asking for this plan to stop. Parents and students have shown up, spoken up, and filled rooms. And some members of this board have continued to move this plan forward anyway. And that has not gone unnoticed. You were elected to serve this community—not the administration, not a strategic plan. These are public schools. They require public input and accountability. That is not an obligation; it is a requirement.

The district wants the board to stay the course. The community is telling you to change it. That gap is exactly why an independent school board exists. Vote yes tonight—not as a delay, but as a rejection of a plan this community never asked for and this board was never prepared to oversee. We cannot afford to get this wrong, and preparing students for the future does not require cutting corners today. The community is watching. The students are watching. And with an election three weeks away, the voters are watching, too. What we all want is transparency: public schools, public decisions. Thank you.

⏯1:09:04 Jenny Chorman: Hello. Yes, yes. Um, I'm sorry. Good evening. My name is Jenny Corman. I have two children in Red Clay.

At the end of 2023, parents at Marbrook Elementary received a letter letting us know that the Spanish immersion program would be phasing out starting in school year 2024–2025. This notice took us by surprise. The reasons given were lack of enrollment and small class sizes in the Spanish immersion classrooms. We parents were not made aware or asked for help to get more students enrolled. The school board approved phasing out the program; we parents were just told it was going to happen.

We parents organized and fought for the program, and thankfully the board decided to give the school and the program a second chance. Marbrook now has a new principal, and Spanish immersion classrooms are at full capacity, at least from kindergarten through 2nd grade, and there is a waitlist.

Some of those parents who advocated for the Spanish immersion program at Marbrook are now advocating for our high schools. These parents realize we need to keep informed of what is going on in our schools. They participate actively in committee and school board meetings and are constantly reading documents and researching. It is not enough to be a bystander.

Many years ago, school choice was implemented, and I believe it has had great benefits. Magnet, charter, and technical schools are giving great opportunities to our students. However, the consequences were probably overlooked. I believe most parents choice their kids into these magnet, charter, and technical schools. The kids who do not get accepted are left to attend the comprehensive high schools, and parents feel they lost and failed their kids.

The current problem is too few students among three high schools, so one needs to be closed—meanwhile charter, magnet, and vocational schools are at full capacity. Some parents asked the district for one of the Red Clay school buildings—the McKean High School building specifically. I am not sure if making McKean High School an Innovation Center is such a bad idea for the current situation we are in. I don't really know what the solution is. We, parents of the future generations, need to be taken into account and be part of the solution. And if you need our help, please ask for it. I wish all parents feel happy with whichever school their children attend. Thank you.

⏯1:50:04 Vic Leonard: And our final presentation, Mr. Mark Pruitt, attendance zone changes.

⏯1:50:22 Mark Pruitt: Good evening, President Leonard, Board Members, Superintendent Green. I am here this evening to present the district's high school attendance zone recommended changes aligned with the 2025 Attendance Zone and Programming Board Committee, and aligned with their core principles that were approved by this board in July of 2025. The work was completed by the School Operations Department, District Operations Department, the Red Clay Technology Office, and the University of Delaware's Biden School of Public Policy, Center for Applied Demography and Survey Research. I'm now going to give an opportunity to Director of Technology Sean Snyder to take us through how we approached the work with the University of Delaware.

⏯1:51:12 Shawn Snyder: Thank you, Mr. Pruitt. Good evening. So, we had the task obviously of coming up with new attendance zones for a bifurcated school district with two schools based upon—sorry, based upon the guidance given to us from the working group that was established last year. The guiding principles for high school attendance zone changes for the board from the board-approved plan were to create strong and balanced enrollment across schools, align high school attendance zone boundaries to existing K–8 attendance zones when possible—so to create a straight-line feeder from a middle school to a high school, that was one of the charges—and then provide equitable access to quality education for all students.

The considerations that we gave to Mr. Laznik at the University of Delaware, who I worked with directly pushing documents back and forth and data back and forth to create these attendance zones, were to consider geography and neighborhood schools, capacity of schools, space for the Meadowood program, demographic breakdowns of both schools that would be intended by creating these new attendance zones. And then the other consideration that is actually an X-factor that is not completely predictable is school choice, because every family does have the opportunity to go to a non-feeder pattern school. So we can make a really great plan that balances everything out, and choice can impact that in an unpredictable way. Now, we will use choice numbers from previous years to kind of predict that, but this is a new game, so it may end up with a different result.

Just a special thank you, obviously, to Mr. Laznik at the University of Delaware. This is the work that he does for the entire state and the region, really. We're very lucky to have them in our backyard. He actually has proprietary software that he's developed that allows him to really model these things in a complicated way that I can't do in an Excel spreadsheet. So we're really fortunate to have that partner. He even does work—when we transitioned from eSchool to Infinite Campus, his office validated every address in the entire state of Delaware, up and down the peninsula, which is a task where sometimes he would literally get in his car and physically drive to an address to make sure it existed, and that was for I think over 100,000 addresses over the course of a year. So he's done a lot of really complicated work over the years, and that kind of outlines the process that we went through to get to the result that Mr. Pruitt's going to show you here in just a moment.

⏯1:53:32 Mark Pruitt: Thank you, Shawn. Next slide. The next few slides are really some of the key findings from the committee and the reason why they came up with the core principles that they did. They are slides that we've all seen multiple times this school year and over the past year and a half. First is that our high school boundaries do not align with our K through 8 boundaries. You see that McKean pulls students from all four of the middle schools, and the other two high schools pull from three of the four schools.

There is no vertical sense of community, as can be seen by those decisions. You look there at our elementary to middle school: our students move from one school to the next. That work was done and aligned in 2015. The last time this work was done at the high school level was 2002. And you can see how those students move from middle school to high school.

Slide was shown last month—while we are Delaware's largest school district, we do have some of the smallest attendance zone secondary schools in the state of Delaware. And of course, the University of Delaware department that we worked with has given a projection across New Castle County of a 3,000-student decline from 2020 to 2050.

Sort of a summary of this: we just talked through those key findings. No straight-line feeders. While we do educate the same number of high school students, about 5,000, that we have for the past 25 years, we have gone from five to seven high schools in our district, which has resulted in underenrolled schools—likely McKean, or McKean, Dickinson, or Alexis I. duPont High School at different points in time. We just talked about the enrollment decline projection over the next 30 years. The core principles Mr. Snyder already went through—the equitable outcomes of strong and sustainably enrolled schools are equitable programming for all students, expanded career programming, expanded elective offerings, additional AP and dual enrollment courses, athletic programs—particularly the addition of subvarsity competition—and comprehensive extracurricular and co-curricular activities for the students who attend those schools.

What you see here is our proposal. The colors are our current attendance zones: Alexis I. duPont High School in dark blue, McKean in light green, and Dickinson in light blue. And the bold boundaries would be the new attendance zones by feeder pattern. What that means is, if you live in the AI duPont Middle feeder pattern, your high school attendance zone would be AI High School. You live in HB, AI High School. I'm going to jump down: you live in Stanton, Dickinson High School. Okay. The only division is between Skyline. That is a result of the size of the schools and the percentage of those schools attending our attendance zone high schools in order to get those numbers to fit around 1,000, understanding that AI's a little better, was the only division that we were needed to make.

This slide here shows a plot graph of where our students in high school attend currently: McKean, Dickinson, and AI High School. Okay. And also a projection—the most likely projection of these attendance zone schools. So, working with the University of Delaware, the most likely projection would put Alexis I. duPont High School at 1,124, John Dickinson High School at 916. It is important to note that in working with them, it was important to understand that people may make different choice decisions. And so while there's really not a concern if it came in a bit lower, we certainly had to build in enough cushion in case people made more decisions to attend those schools based on the programming changes. And so a high at AI High School would be 1,284, an absolute high, and 1,045 at John Dickinson. Okay. It's worth noting that these numbers do not include out-of-district choice. So we could include—and we would be conservative with out-of-district choice at first—but could in fact turn on, so to speak, the faucet for out-of-district choice if necessary. It also does not consider the fact that 150 or more students at those schools at any given point in time would be attending the McKean Innovation Center.

This slide shows you these changes by geography. Okay. And what I will point out is the change that when you align as the committee and the board approved, when you make these changes, there are two sections of our community that currently attend Dickinson that would move their attendance zone to AI High School. Okay, you see what would be called like the North Star area in the northwest of the district, and part of the north side of the city of Wilmington. We'll go to the next slide.

Okay. In those two areas, there are approximately 120 students in three grades—approximately 120 students in the classes of '28, '29, and '30. Okay? And you're going to see in our recommendation in a couple of slides that we will recommend to grandfather those students and in fact give them the choice as to whether they wanted to finish out the grade band at Dickinson or move to the new attendance zone at AI High School.

New high school attendance zones projected demographics—understanding that, you know, school choice plays a role in this, but this is the most likely projection of demographic changes. How to read this: we'll look in the top left corner—Hispanic, AI High School currently 39%, the new projection 36%. I'll give you a moment to look at that information. Also worth noting that this is a first reading. You're going to see on the last slide that our recommendation, understanding there's other things going on at this meeting tonight, but the recommendation would be a vote in three months on this.

Next slide. Here's the recommendation written out: Beginning with the 2027–2028 school year, change high school attendance zones to reflect the following feeder patterns. Students with the following middle school attendance zone assignments shall be assigned to the new Alexis I. duPont High School attendance zone: AI Middle, H.B. Middle, and Skyline City portion. Students with the following middle school attendance zone shall be assigned to the new John Dickinson High School attendance zone: Skyline suburb portion, Stanton Middle School. Additionally, students in the graduating classes of '28, '29, and '30 who are currently enrolled at Dickinson and whose new attendance zone will be Alexis I. duPont will be provided a choice: remain at Dickinson through graduation—transportation will be provided—or a second choice to change to Alexis I. duPont High School, which would be their new attendance zone.

Our recommended timeline for feedback, board approval, and communication: After this meeting, our plan is to communicate this recommendation to the community. We plan to email our families, also get a letter out to all residents of this change, which would include our families and social media. The month of May would allow for feedback from the community. We plan to set up an email link and also have two town halls: one in the city of Wilmington and one at McKean High School. In June, we would give you an update on that feedback at the June 17th board meeting. And in July, we recommend voting on this recommendation. That would allow us in September of 2026 to communicate the approved changes to the community so they could make informed choice decisions.

Questions?  

⏯2:03:32 Vic Leonard: Any questions?

⏯2:03:32 Devon Hynson: I have questions. I only got—because, and I just want you to write mine down and send it to me by email. So, somebody please record this. I want to know who the software guy is, the guy from UD. I want to know his name, I want to know his contact information. And I want to see the raw data that he's using to drive these lines. Okay? And I want to know what he was instructed to do. Like, what was his instruction? What was the edict? What was he told that he was trying to accomplish by writing these segregated lines, right? 

And then, do we have the most secondary options in the state as a district? Do we have the most secondary schools in the state as an option? Because he made mention of the fact that we have the lowest number of students attending our secondary schools—the comprehensive buildings—in the state. So my question is, do we have the most secondary options?

⏯2:04:45 Mark Pruitt: Yes.

⏯2:04:46 Devon Hynson: Okay. So that would be irrelevant to make that point without also—because it's almost like the other gentleman said that we have these choice-only options that cream the higher-performing students in the district and it leaves the other ones open. So like, we have 800 kids at—not CAB Calloway, at Charter School of Wilmington, correct? And only have 1,100 kids there. So like 80% of our kids are over there, right?

⏯2:05:20 Mark Pruitt: There are 900?.. 

⏯2:05:22 Devon Hynson: What I'm saying is not 80% of our kids. 80% of their building is our kids. 

⏯2:05:29 Mark Pruitt: They have to give preference to Red Clay students. Correct.

⏯2:05:33 Devon Hynson: So 80% of their building—a high percentage of their building—is our children.

⏯2:05:37 Mark Pruitt: I'm not sure the exact number.

⏯2:05:38 Devon Hynson: It would be irrelevant to say, "Well, we have to do something because we have a self-inflicted wound." You're essentially saying that there's a crisis, but the reality is we created the crisis.

⏯2:05:52 Mark Pruitt: I agree. I totally agree with you.

⏯2:05:55 Devon Hynson: So those were the only two things I wanted to know. Sorry. Yep.

⏯2:06:00 Aje English: I have a question and comment as well. I also would like to see some of the raw data just as a data and research person, if possible. Just because I have a concern with the breakdown of the demographics, and my concern is the because of the projected breakdown of the demographics, not to anyone's fault, that it might not increase the enrollment. Like, I think that we could potentially be dealing with a different issue. So I would just like to see the data if possible.

⏯2:06:34 Mark Pruitt: We could certainly get the board anything they'd like.

⏯2:06:38 Aje English: I appreciate it.

⏯2:06:39 Beth Twardus: Along those lines about requesting some information, do we know, or just where can we get the information about a cost analysis that was done? Or was that in part of the person's report when he gave them as far as drawing the lines for busing and where the buses need to go for transportation, like the cost impact? 

⏯2:06:58 Mark Pruitt: Did he do that? 

⏯2:06:59 Beth Twardus: Was that part of the full report?

⏯2:07:02 Mark Pruitt: He would not do a transportation cost analysis. He did not do a transportation cost analysis.

⏯2:07:08 Beth Twardus: So the proposed district lines were drawn without an understanding of the impact for transportation costs? That's what I'm just trying to understand, where that information would be. And I don't know if that is for you, I don't know if there's another cabinet member that can speak to that.

⏯2:07:28 Mark Pruitt: Yeah, ask the question again.

⏯2:07:32 Beth Twardus: Okay. So, we have a proposed attendance zone redrawing for our secondary schools. Was transportation funds—the money that will be spent to bus students with the new feeder patterns—taken into account when drawing these lines?

⏯2:07:51 Mark Pruitt: So, we're waiting on that information to do that work. 

⏯2:07:54 Beth Twardus: Okay.

⏯2:07:56 Dorrell Green: So I think in essence what we would be able to do now that we have these proposed lines is to overlay—to actually look at what would that mean for existing routes, and how we would have to route existing students based on the new line in terms of the rerouting. So, yeah.

⏯2:08:22 Vic Leonard: Any other discussion?

⏯2:08:25 Beth Twardus: I have another question. Miss English, did you have one? Okay. I had another question about the timeline towards the end, the recommended timeline. The September 2026 "communicate approved changes to the community," if we remain on this timeline—is there anything specific about the September 2026 date? Is that to allow parents to make choice decisions for the following year?

⏯2:08:50 Mark Pruitt: Yeah, November 1st is when choice opens, and parents need to have that information to make informed choice decisions.

⏯2:08:56 Beth Twardus: Okay. So if timelines are adjusted, the next time we would be able to approve an attendance zone restructuring would be July 2027? Correct?

⏯2:09:14 Mark Pruitt: Correct.

⏯2:09:14 Beth Twardus: Okay, because doing it in August of 2026 would not provide enough time?

⏯2:09:21 Mark Pruitt: 2027, you mean?

⏯2:09:22 Beth Twardus: Yes, that's what I mean. For 2027, it would have to be July. 

⏯2:09:27 Mark Pruitt: There needs to be time to make the changes in the information system. Right. So July is probably as tight as we would go. We would hope if we pushed it back, we might be able to push the months back, you know, like a March presentation and a June, I think would be ideal. But under this timeline, we went with April and July. 

⏯2:09:48 Beth Twardus: But June would be ideal. 

⏯2:09:50 Mark Pruitt: I think June—any extra month to do the work on the data, and Sean could speak to that better than I could, but yeah, any extra time to do that is ideal. So, June.

⏯2:10:01 Aje English: Another quick question: how does—and just hypotheticals—how does not having the McKean Innovation Center affect these? Do these numbers change? 

⏯2:10:14 Mark Pruitt: How does not having the McKean—

⏯2:10:16 Aje English: Like if we keep McKean the way that it is?

⏯2:10:18 Mark Pruitt: Yes. 

⏯2:10:18 Aje English: Um, does that affect this? The attendance—

⏯2:10:21 Mark Pruitt: You wouldn’t do this. This is what was requested of us through the committee, through the board vote in July.

⏯2:10:30 Aje English: Okay. Thank you. Yeah.

⏯2:10:33 Jose Matthews: I just wanted to first of all thank you so much for coming out and presenting and taking all of our questions. I know that we have many. But one question that came up from the community that I'm certainly happy to relay—I never heard of this before, a GIS map—if there's any way that folks who are really looking to see how they're going to be impacted individually... Some of the lines in the slides are hard, and if people live around the area or on the line, folks don't want to, while we go through this process there are folks who were contacting me, constituents who don't want to sit here and guess.  

⏯2:11:15 Mark Pruitt: We can work on getting that, but in the meantime, they can go to the middle school attendance zone website. Whatever it tells them their middle school is would be their high school attendance zone.

⏯2:11:31 Jose Matthews: Can we add that link to our committee—that committee, was it the micropage or the page that we have with all the documents? If we can add it to the page, I think that would be helpful. I think that should suffice as long as people have a mechanism of putting in their address and then looking at specifically where they fall. Because there's just a lot of folks who are unaware or unsure.

And the other recommendation that I have is—thank you for noting the Hispanic population. Red Clay has certainly seen a huge increase over the years. For the town halls, if there could be a translator available specifically for the one at McKean. I just want them to feel included, be included, and have the material translated for them so that they fully understand what they receive. Thank you.

⏯2:12:34 Mark Pruitt: Yep. 

⏯2:12:38 Vic Leonard: Any other questions?

⏯2:12:40 Devon Hynson: I have a statement. I would like for the board—I'm talking to the board. I don't think that any of us thinks that this makes sense, right? And we're trying to inch forward for some unknown reason, I don't know why, right? But I would ask us to—you got to really dig deep and try to understand why are you trying to protect this? Like, what is it that makes us not want to say stop? Because what I think we need to do is—because there's more questions that are unanswered than answered. We know that they're being stretched thin because they have full-time jobs, and they're being asked to plan an Innovation Center on the side. That's insane.

So what I'm saying is, for right now, it just has to be relaxed. You don't have to worry about—don't put nothing else up on the website. There doesn't need to be anything else up, because we don't know what we're going to do yet. I just think that that's the prudent thing to do. I know that people are going to get mad at me, but the reality is we know that this does not make any sense. [applause] That's the only reason why the resolution is on the table. Let's stop playing games with these families, man. And that's it. [audience shouting]

⏯2:14:09 Vic Leonard: Any other comments? Okay. Thank you, Mr. Pruitt.

⏯2:16:07 Dorrell Green: Action item C. It is recommended that the Red Clay Board of Education approve a postponement to the implementation of the Reimagining Schools plan for the McKean Innovation Campus in accordance with the implementation postponement resolution.

⏯2:16:20 Najma Landis: Najma Landis, so moved.

⏯2:16:24 Kecia English: Second, English.

⏯2:16:29 Najma Landis: So, may I speak to my motion?

⏯2:16:31 Dorrell Green: You have to second the motion. 

⏯2:16:33 Vic Leonard: Oh, is there a— 

⏯2:16:34 Najma Landis: There was a second.

⏯2:16:34 Beth Twardus: There was a second.

⏯2:16:35 Jose Matthews: There was a second.

⏯2:16:36 Najma Landis: Ms. English. 

⏯2:16:36 Jose Matthews: Board Member English.

⏯2:16:39 Dorrell Green: So you have a motion that is properly seconded. 

⏯2:16:42 Najma Landis: All right. So I would just like to speak into the record the portion of the resolution after the "whereases" so that it is clear what we're looking for.

So now, therefore, be it resolved that the Red Clay Consolidated School District Board of Education imposes a postponement of the implementation start date of the Reimagining Secondary Education proposal. This postponement shall remain in effect until the Board of Education affirmatively votes in a public session to lift the postponement upon finding that all conditions set forth herein have been fully satisfied.

The following conditions must be fully met and documented before the board may consider a vote to end postponement by establishing a new start date:

1. A clearly defined, publicly posted phased transition plan ensuring that current student cohorts, including the class of 2029, have the ability to complete their high school careers with stability and continuity.

2. A comprehensive communications plan for students, families, educators, and community members that includes information meetings, listening sessions, and multilingual digital and print communications. The plan must include an outline of the changes for current and future families, including but not limited to transportation, feeder pattern, location of programming, and timeline. All materials must be posted publicly on the district website.

3. Documented student engagement efforts, including forums and/or structured listening sessions to ensure student voice is incorporated into planning. Student input must be formally recorded, summarized, and incorporated into planning documents.

4. Formal communication and professional development for educators and staff so they are equipped with accurate information and resources to support students and families during a transition.

5. Direct engagement with all community stakeholders, including Meadowood families and feeder school communities through public open forums, scheduled tours, and open house opportunities.

6. Communication to feeder middle school families and incoming students in multiple languages and utilizing multiple platforms, including but not limited to signed written acknowledgement of the program's structure and expectations. All communication materials, including the template written acknowledgement, must be publicly posted and accessible, including on the district website and school websites with middle school programming.

7. Public release of all planned district informational materials in multiple languages, including video communications and mass media updates to ensure transparency across the district. All materials must be publicly posted to the district website.

8. Documentation of all community engagement activities, including but not limited to district personnel and board members in attendance, number of community members in attendance, meeting recordings with captions, summaries of community input with responsive actions by the district. All documentation must be publicly posted on the district website.

9. A formal equity analysis examining the impact of the Reimagining Secondary Schools plan on all students, including but not limited to students with disabilities, English language learners, economically disadvantaged students, and students in specialized programs. The analysis must include enrollment data, demographic comparisons, and program access metrics. The analysis must be posted publicly and presented to the board in a regularly scheduled board public session.

10. A formal IDEA compliance report examining the proposed Reimagining Secondary Schools plan satisfies the district's obligations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Results must be posted publicly and presented to the board in a regularly scheduled board public session.

11. A formal report detailing impacts of an MIC model, including but not limited to transportation times, instructional time, CTE funding allocations, and staffing changes. This report must be posted publicly and presented to the board in a regularly scheduled board public session.

Be it further resolved that the board directs the administration to return with an updated implementation plan that addresses each condition set forth above, accompanied by documentary evidence of completion before the board considers a vote to end the postponement by establishing a new start date for implementation of the Reimagining Secondary Schools plan.

So, I wanted to speak that into record just to clarify what I have heard over my four months joining this school board, and I'm sure what other board members have also heard from the community. You have not been unheard. We've been listening and we want to acknowledge that—or I want to acknowledge, because I speak for myself—that I recognize that we need to do more to engage meaningfully with the community about any changes that we go forth with.

This wasn't an easy decision, but it's been weighing heavy on me and I knew that we need to—I feel that we need to take a step back and hear from our community and help them shape any major changes that happen. I don't want to see any schools close. I don't want to see any teachers or educators lose their jobs. I don't want to see students anxious and nervous and upset by changes that they feel that they had no input in. So, I'm hoping that with the conditions that we've outlined—and you know, note that I didn't write this all myself, I've had a lot of input from several people—I hope that this is a step in the right direction. I'll leave that at that. Thank you.

⏯2:24:07 Vic Leonard: Thank you. Any discussion?

⏯2:24:13 Beth Twardus: I just wanted to point out that in the resolution, the phrase "postponement" was utilized. This is not a stopping of, this is not a moratorium. The way it's been read into record by Ms. Landis is that this is a postponement until these items are completed, and this is a result of a vote that happened last July where I was a part of, after attending the community meetings prior to being on the board.

We had asked for some information. It was not progressing as much as we had wanted. The district website was updated in December; we still felt as a board that we were looking for more information. We put together the Attendance Zone Committee where we were asking for more information. As a board, feeling as though we still were not getting it, and this is the result of that time. So we have laid it clearly out to hopefully set the direction to govern the district appropriately with clarity from input from our community. 

⏯2:25:20 Vic Leonard: Thank you. Any other discussion?

⏯2:25:23 Devon Hynson: I would like to make a recommendation. I think that there needs to be us giving clear direction, because it sounds like the board—they're saying that it's y'all that did this. So, I think that it's going to be important, it's imperative that you guys understand that, number one, you're going to have to give them clear direction as to what it is that you're looking for. And I think that that's a great start.

But number two, we understand that we're underresourced in terms of human personnel to be able to accomplish those things. Like, Mark Pruitt has a full-time job managing schools, and it's unfair to say, "Now we can say, well, he could do it." No, that's just not the way things are done. So, we need to look at maybe getting a consultant to come in and to kind of lead us and guide us. But I think it's unfair—I just think it's not doable. There's no way that he can do this monumental task and do his full-time job. That's just not even reasonable—that's it. I'm sorry.

⏯2:26:31 Dorrell Green: No, I think, um—

⏯2:28:35 Susan Sander: Frankly, I would like to propose an amendment to the proposal. Excuse me. The term postponement is indefinite, which means there will be no momentum, there will be no moving forward.

We recently attended a conference in San Antonio of school boards. Session after session that I attended made it very clear that the current state of our public schools in the United States is slowly declining. We've lost students to choice, which, I have problems with that as well, we as a board can do nothing to change choice schooling. Only your legislators can do that. So that's an issue we have to take up with our legislators.

District after district is having to close schools. Our host city of San Antonio currently went through 14 school closures in one year. Philadelphia, as you probably know from the news, is also facing school closures. Phoenix, Arizona—throughout the United States, this is happening to school district after school district. We're dealing with decreasing funds. We are seeing declining student population throughout the entire United States.

Make no mistake that change is coming to Red Clay. We are not immune to it. Things will happen to our schools that we will have no control over unless we control the change. I would like to propose an amendment that will put a one-year extension on the planning to give our leaders a full and clear pathway to continue this without the plan falling apart.

⏯2:28:33 Beth Twardus: I believe the language, that um is maybe a question for Ms. Landis, Uh the language in the resolution is to postpone until the resolution is complete. So that allows for the work to continue, the planning to continue, while the district is being asked to engage with the community in a more meaningful way by posting items on the school district website. And it's also allowing the district to decide what their timeline is. They could look at some of these things and not do them until 2027 if they so chose. They could look at these and start planning some things already.

The attendance zone meetings that are already happening at the town halls, there's some things that are in the resolution that they could easily fold in and combine together. So, by not having a timeline on it, it actually provides more opportunity for the work to work at the rate that you were speaking of where it will not lose momentum. It allows the work to continue forward.

⏯2:29:39 Susan Sander: May I have some input by the administrators who are currently doing the planning? And by the way, they have put in hundreds and hundreds of hours across all of our—

⏯2:29:53 Dorrell Green: So if, if I may—

⏯2:29:35 Susan Sander: —across the board, they put in hundreds of hours of work, and I would hate to see the dedication of our staff—

⏯2:30:00 Dorrell Green: —again, we were given a charge, albeit by a prior board, to address an issue that's been 30 years in the making. And I think the reality that we need to confront as a district, going back to the point that was shared in the presentation that Mr. Hynson clarified: we are the largest, most diverse, comprehensive school district in the state of Delaware with a diverse number of offerings. We were the first to charter a school. We were the first to implement magnet schools, although the state technically doesn't even recognize magnet as an official designation of a school, but Red Clay has determined that we have magnet schools.

Those schools give Red Clay students, families, community preference, and it's come at the expense over the last 25 years for each of our comprehensive high schools. So, as you gave us a charge to address an issue for declining enrollment in our comprehensive high schools, that's the work that we've embarked in since November—actually prior to November 2024, but since November 2024 when we got this official charge. You're now coming, albeit again hearing from community, but if community input from the board as we engage on this process says that we close a school or close two schools as a result of it, we have to get to Mr. Hynson's point: clear direction.

And we've already engaged with the Southern Regional Education Board. The State Chamber has reached out and is offering support. There's a whole host of things that we have to consider because it's "continue the work," but we also are expecting the work to change. So, I would ask that we have the opportunity to really digest this resolution and for the board to consider. And if you say we're pausing, because postponement until all of these stipulations are met could inevitably push us out two years from now.

And if the Innovation Center isn't something that the board fully supports, the board also has to consider policies that you have giving preference to our choice and magnet options that has really led to, to Mr. Pruitt's point, we've been educating the same number of high school students across Red Clay for the last 25 years, but we increased the number of available seats. 

[shouting from audience]

⏯2:34:42 Dorrell Green: We've also increased the number of middle—

[shouting from audience]

⏯2:32:45 Dorrell Green: Excuse me. Thank you. We've also, we've also increased the number of—

[inaudible]

⏯2:32:52 Dorrell Green: We've also increased the number of middle schools in our district with declining enrollment, where Skyline has served 700 to 750 children for about 50 years, and now they find themselves at 381.

⏯2:33:08 Devon Hynson: Mmhmm.

⏯2:33:11 Dorrell Green: So the rebalancing of feeder patterns, again, was based on it. So, whatever direction the board gives us, we're going to roll up our sleeves and do it. But to a point, how does the board want us to go about looking at the stipulations in this resolution? 

I'm not wedded to any plan. I'm concerned about what we do for children, how we're preparing them, because we're going to graduate—students are going to walk across our stage in June, they're going to turn their tassel, they're going to be excited about graduating, and then two months beyond that, there's a concern about the forgotten half of our district who won't be able to access much of anything because we know a high school diploma isn't sufficient in this current climate.

⏯2:33:55 Vic Leonard: Yup.

⏯2:33:55 Susan Sander: Exactly.

⏯2:33:57 Dorrell Green: And so, however the board directs us, again, we were given a charge in November 2024, and that's the way we approached it. If there's a new charge, a new stipulation based on this resolution, we're going to roll up our sleeves and do the work accordingly.

⏯2:34:12 Devon Hynson: I think that the resolution is extraordinarily clear. She's saying postpone it. The community agrees with it. They participated in the crafting of it. Now, if we're going to be so tone-deaf as to go right back down in that rabbit hole—

⏯2:34:26 Dorrell Green: No

⏯2:34:27 Devon Hynson: That's up to y'all. [laughter]

⏯2:34:28 Dorrell Green: I'm—

⏯2:34:29 Devon Hynson: I'm voting yes on this. I'm not thinking about that motion. I'm voting yes on the original resolution.

⏯2:34:36 Dorrell Green: But I go back to the last point you made. 

⏯2:34:39 Devon Hynson: What I'm willing to do is be more supportive of making sure that we as a board understand what charge we're giving—

⏯2:34:46 Dorrell Green: And that's—

⏯2:34:46 Devon Hynson: and we give you guys the support to make sure that whatever we come up with can actually happen. Like to just say to you guys, figure this out, and you're trying to work three jobs in one, I think that that was fundamentally unfair to begin with.

⏯2:35:01 Dorrell Green:So yeah, so we would welcome that charge from the board. 

⏯2:35:05 Devon Hynson: But I don't know what we're doing with that motion. I'm with the resolution. [laughter] I'm just telling you where I'm at.

⏯2:35:11 Jose Matthews: President Leonard, I'd like to call the vote.

⏯2:35:13 Vic Leonard: Well, we have a motion on the table. 

⏯2:35:14 Dorrell Green: Right.

⏯2:35:15 Beth Twardus: It wasn't seconded.

⏯2:35:15 Jose Matthews: It wasn't seconded so the motion fails. Yeah. I'd like to call the vote.

⏯2:35:20 Vic Leonard: Okay. All right. So, we have—

⏯2:35:25 Dorrell Green: Do you want me to read it again? 

⏯2:35:27 Vic Leonard:Yep, let's read it again. 

⏯2:35:28 Jose Matthews: We had Board Member Landis make the motion and Board Member English second. 

⏯2:35:34 Dorrell Green: And again, the recommended action is: It is recommended that the Red Clay Board of Education approve the postponement to the implementation of the Reimagining Schools plan for the McKean Innovation Campus in accordance with the implementation postponement resolution. 

⏯2:35:49 Vic Leonard: Is there a motion to approve the recommendation? 

⏯2:35:54 Dorrell Green: You already have the motion.

⏯2:35:55 Vic Leonard: Okay, sorry. 

⏯2:35:59 Beth Twardus: We're ready for the vote.

⏯2:36:00 Vic Leonard: Call the vote, please.

⏯2:36:01 Maria Stevens: Ms. English?

⏯2:36:01 Kecia English: Yes.

⏯2:36:03 Maria Stevens: Mr. Hynson?

⏯2:36:04 Devon Hynson: Yes.

⏯2:36:06 Maria Stevens Ms. Landis?

⏯2:36:07 Najma Landis: Najma Landis, yes.

⏯2:36:09 Maria Stevens: Mr. Matthews?

⏯2:36:10 Jose Matthews: Yes.

⏯2:36:12 Maria Stevens: Ms. Sander?

⏯2:36:15 Susan Sander: No.

⏯2:36:18 Maria Stevens: Ms. Twardus?

⏯2:36:19 Beth Twardus: Yes.

⏯2:36:20 Maria Stevens: Mr. Leonard?

⏯2:36:21 Vic Leonard: Yes. 

⏯2:36:22 Maria Stevens: Six yes, one no. Motion passes.

⏯2:36:33 Dorrell Green: So, with that being the case and before we go into the next action item, can we have it on the record that the board will give us a clear charge at the May board meeting?

⏯2:36:46 Susan Sander: Yes.

⏯2:36:47 Najma Landis: Yes.

⏯2:36:48 Dorrell Green: Okay, thank you.

⏯ 2:38:31 Vic Leonard: All right. School board committee reports. Attendance Zone and Restructuring Review Committee. Any report? Who's on that committee? 

Dorrell Green: It's a moot point at this point. 

Vic Leonard: Yep. Moot point.

🌐Attendance Zone Restructuring & Review Committee Webpage

📁Attendance Zone Restructuring & Review Committee Rolling Slides

📁Reimagining Secondary Education High School Attendance-Zone Changes Recommendation

📁AZ Attendance Zone changes maps

📁Resolution to Postpone MIC Plan