By Brian Gilliland

LEWES — After about an hour of taking their lumps from a concerned audience, the Cape Henlopen School District Board of Education voted unanimously Thursday to proceed with another funding referendum, scheduled for May 21.

The schools will now seek $.391 per $100 of assessed value, down from $.549 per $100 in the previous request. The pool has been cut from the new proposal, and several other expenses have been adjusted to create the new figure.

Previously, the district sought $.214 per $100 for capital projects, which has shrunk to $.086 to fund the purchase of property, relocating the district administrative office and a vehicle maintenance facility. What had been identified as operational expenses at $.335 per $100 assessed has shrunk to $.305 per $100.

“We and I need to do a better job of communicating our needs to the community, and finding the ways and connections so they can be more involved with our schools,” said Bob Fulton, district superintendent of schools

The previous referendum in March was defeated by about 660 votes or less than 10% of the total number of voters. More than 7,900 ballots were cast, according to results provided by Delaware Department of Elections, up from the total of about 3,200 in 2018. Officially, more than 3,600 were for the proposal, while almost 4,300 were against.

About 110 absentee ballots are included in the totals, as well as 34 “undervotes,” or when a blank vote is cast, according to the Delaware Department of Elections.

Mr. Fulton said delays and long lines at polling places during the previous vote would be mitigated by adding personnel, voting booths and additional polling places in May.

Several audience members wondered during Thursday’s meeting why the previous vote was a single up-or-down choice when there were four capital projects outlined, including a property purchase, district office, bus depot, swimming pool and operational expenses.

Mr. Fulton explained the choice could create a confusing situation for the district, where it may have approval for buildings but no land, or the opposite.

More than one person also commented on the perceived extravagance of the proposed facilities, the size of the land parcel and the cost of the district office. Finally, criticism was also leveled at the timing of the project with so much other construction going on in the area.

School officials explained they are attempting to meet the needs of the community, and those needs don’t necessarily follow timelines.

On Friday, the district announced a press conference regarding the May referendum Tuesday at 1 p.m. at the district office in Lewes.