DECEMBER 2025

December in Delaware School Boards: Year-End Actions and Ongoing Governance

During December, Delaware school boards continued their regular governance responsibilities while closing out the first half of the academic year. Meetings across districts reflected a combination of routine approvals, year-end financial and personnel actions, policy work, and updates on instruction, facilities, safety, and student support.

While individual district agendas varied based on local context, December meetings largely focused on maintaining operations, addressing required approvals, and preparing for upcoming budget, planning, and instructional work in the new year.

What All Delaware School Boards Addressed in December

Across all 16 districts, December board meetings included a consistent set of governance actions.

All districts:

• Approved personnel actions, including hires, resignations, retirements, promotions, transfers, contract renewals, or reassignments

• Reviewed and approved monthly financial reports

• Conducted policy actions, including first readings, second readings, revisions, or adoptions required for compliance and governance

• Approved routine operational items, such as field trips, facility use, and student activities

• Addressed district operations, including staffing, facilities, transportation, and instructional support

These items reflect the ongoing oversight role boards play throughout the school year, including in December.

Student and Staff Recognition

Recognition remained an agenda item in December, with boards acknowledging student achievement, staff contributions, and school or community accomplishments.

Student recognition appeared in:

• Appoquinimink, recognizing athletic teams, marching bands, and extracurricular achievements

• Milford, recognizing athletic accomplishments, service initiatives, and student leadership activities

• Lake Forest, recognizing athletic participation, Student Council activities, and College Board National Recognition recipients

• Smyrna, recognizing the Smyrna High School Girls Division I State Champion team

• Cape Henlopen, recognizing students involved in athletics, Unified Sports, and career pathways

• Indian River, recognizing students selected for county and All-State music ensembles

• Colonial, through student board representative reports and instructional presentations

• Brandywine, through student presentations highlighting academics, arts, and service learning

• Caesar Rodney, through student presentations and recognition tied to school activities

Staff recognition occurred in a smaller number of districts and included:

• Caesar Rodney, recognizing educators for National Board Certification, presidential teaching awards, and extraordinary service

• Cape Henlopen, recognizing teachers, substitutes, support staff, school resource officers, and community partners through “Going the Extra Mile” awards

• Colonial, recognizing a William Penn High School teacher named DELREC Law-Related Educator of the Year

• Delmar, recognizing ROAR Employees of the Month for service and reliability

• Lake Forest, recognizing staff achievements and a district Educational Support Professional of the Year

• Laurel, recognizing Delaware’s Educational Support Professional of the Year

• Red Clay Consolidated, recognizing a Stanton Middle School teacher receiving a Delaware STEM Educator Award

In these meetings, recognition was presented alongside other routine agenda items as part of regular board proceedings.

Instruction, Student Support, and Program Updates

Boards received instructional and student support updates through superintendent and administrative reports.

Topics discussed included:

• Attendance and instructional access in Brandywine, where the district reviewed attendance metrics and intervention strategies

• Literacy and instructional practices in Indian River, where public comment and board discussion referenced reading outcomes

• Academic Return on Investment (A-ROI) in Christina, examining the relationship between spending and student outcomes

• Curriculum updates and instructional planning in Milford, Capital, and Christina

• MTSS, interventions, and student behavior supports in Indian River, Christina, and Red Clay Consolidated

Special education services were discussed in:

• Appoquinimink, focusing on program expansion, staffing, and cost considerations

• Indian River, reviewing service delivery and compliance requirements

• Christina, discussing alternative placements and support models

Multilingual learner supports were addressed in:

• Milford, Christina, and Colonial, including staffing, service delivery, and student progress updates

Student wellness and counseling services were discussed in:

• Christina, Indian River, and Seaford, often alongside updates on climate and behavior supports

These discussions were presented as informational updates or ongoing areas of work rather than final decisions.

Finance, Facilities, and Operations

Financial and facilities-related items were a consistent part of December agendas.

Boards reviewed:

• Monthly financial reports in all districts

• Capital projects and construction updates in Indian River, Milford, Capital, Christina, Red Clay Consolidated, and Woodbridge

• Facilities maintenance and infrastructure needs in Lake Forest, Delmar, and Laurel

• Enrollment growth and capacity considerations in Appoquinimink

Additional actions included:

• Adoption of alternative reduction plans in Caesar Rodney and Seaford

• Budget revisions or final budget approvals in Delmar, Caesar Rodney, and Woodbridge

• Long-range facilities or capital planning discussions in Indian River, Christina, and Capital

Safety, Policy, and Governance

Safety-related topics were addressed across districts, primarily through policy review and operational updates.

Boards reviewed or discussed:

• Emergency preparedness and operational readiness in all districts

• Behavioral safety and discipline systems in Indian River, Christina, and Cape Henlopen

• Transportation safety and equity considerations in Red Clay Consolidated

• Security infrastructure or implementation planning in Milford, including weapons detection systems

Policy activity in December included:

• Updates to board governance and public participation policies in Delmar, Seaford, and Cape Henlopen

• Policy revisions related to grievance procedures, negotiations, and personnel practices in Caesar Rodney, Christina, and Lake Forest

• First and second readings of policies tied to operations, instruction, and compliance across multiple districts

December Summary

December school board meetings across Delaware reflected the continuation of regular governance responsibilities. Boards approved personnel, financial, policy, and operational items; received updates on instruction, student support, facilities, and safety; and recognized student and staff accomplishments as part of routine meeting agendas.

As boards carry this work into the second half of the school year, First State Educate (FSE) can support districts by:

• Providing governance-focused training and resources aligned to ongoing personnel, finance, policy, and oversight responsibilities

• Supporting boards as they navigate instructional updates, student support systems, and special education considerations

• Offering tools and facilitation to strengthen community engagement, public participation, and board communication practices

• Assisting boards in preparing for budget development, capital planning, and policy implementation in the months ahead

By tracking common agenda items and district-specific actions across the state, FSE can continue to help boards share practices, anticipate recurring governance needs, and strengthen board capacity as part of ongoing, month-to-month oversight.

This is a summary based on publicly available December 2025 school board materials and is not intended to serve as a complete or official record. Some details or context may be missing or subject to change.