Cape Henlopen school leaders address issues surrounding race and student discipline

The past several months leaders within the Cape Henlopen School District have been addressing issues surrounding race and student discipline.

"There is always room to improve," says Robert Fulton, the Superintendent for the Cape Henlopen School District.

Last fall, Cape Henlopen school buses were vandalized with racial slurs. An incident that raised several concerns in the community.

"After an unfortunate incident with Cape Henlopen school district buses from there emerged a recitation of issues and concerns that the community has," says Kathleen Baker, a member of the Community Minority Liaison Committee

As a result that, the Community Minority Liaison Committee was established to look into issues. The group recently released a report that found that the school district struggled with discipline and recruiting minority teachers.

"We need to make sure that our school system reflects the community we serve. In the present time it does not," says Janet Maull-Martin, a member of the committee and a former student and educator at Cape Henlopen.

Superintendent Fulton acknowledges this and says this is something the district needs to work on.

"This group has really helped us to think about different ways to attract a more diverse population to apply for jobs here. Both external applicants and people that work internally for us," says Fulton.

The school district is also looking at a way to restructure their discipline system. According to numbers provided by Cape Henlopen and the committee, black students are 2 to 3 students more likely to be disciplined than white students.

"We have some schools and populations that we obviously need to do a better job with as far as suspension and those kind of things with students based on race. We have a long way to go, so this  is helping us get there," says Fulton.

As for what's next, community members have made a few recommendations to the district .One of those includes providing incentives for educators to move and teach in the area. Another suggestions is to recruit minority teachers from local colleges and HBCUs.

The committee will also present their findings to the public on Monday, May 14th at 7 PM at the Friendship Baptist Church in Lewes.