Cape plans for fall 2021 elementary school redistricting

Cape’s elementary schools will be redistricted for the 2021-22 school year to balance overcrowding, Cape Superintendent Bob Fulton said at the July 9 school board meeting.

School officials considered reorganizing enrollment areas a couple years ago to alleviate crowding at Love Creek Elementary, but tabled the decision, in part due to parent concerns, until plans were developed to modify enrollment areas at all district elementary schools.

“We currently have and we knew we would have different numbers of students in different schools,” Fulton said. 

With 600 to 700 students, Love Creek Elementary is the most crowded, Fulton said, with Rehoboth and Shields close behind. However, he said, Milton and H.O. Brittingham elementaries have roughly 400 to 500 students each.

Fulton said the goal is to have about 500 students in each elementary school, but because some areas may grow faster than others, there may not be the exact same number of students at each school. Fulton said balancing the economic status of students and transportation needs while changing attendance lines is important.

School officials will work with University of Delaware for input on future growth trends to make decisions based on projected data, Fulton said. The board will discuss enrollment areas for the next couple months and take action by November at the latest, he said, and it will welcome feedback from families.

With the district’s third middle school set to open in 2023 in Lewes, Fulton said district officials will also have to make changes to middle school enrollment areas in a couple of years.