IRSD Supt. says failed referendum could lead to lower safety in schools

SELBYVILLE, Del. – The people have spoken and for the second time, the Indian River School District’s attempt to pass their capital improvement plan has failed. Superintendent Mark Steele says with the nearly $60 million plan to address overcrowding issues they’ll have to look to portables to solve their problems. Right now its projected they’ll need about 22 portable classrooms over the next five years, which Steele says will cost the district millions of dollars. But on top of the cost, there’s also the question of safety.

“When a kid’s behind bricks and borders they’re safe. They’re safe. When a kid’s in an outdoor portable, it’s not so much so. It’s much harder to monitor, it doesn’t provide a whole lot of defense, and it’s very concerning,” said Superintendent Mark Steele.

Despite the outcome, Steele who you just heard from adds that he respects the democratic process. Going forward they say they will examine all possible options to keep students safe and provide them with the best learning environment possible.