Cape district tops 6,500 students

The growth rate continues in Cape Henlopen School District, which has 251 more pupils this year than last – equivalent to about half the size of an elementary school.

As of the annual Sept. 30 unit count, 6,587 students were enrolled in district schools, an increase of 1,512 students in 10 years. The district qualifies for 563.66 units, an increase of 30.83 units from the 2022-23 school year.

The Sept. 30 unit count determines how much state funding the district will receive to pay for teaching and professional staff. Students with special needs who require more services and support staff earn additional units for the school.

Each school does its own unit count based on class attendance. Principals verify attendance rolls and send the school count to the district office for a district-wide unit count that is submitted to the Delaware Department of Education.

Assistant Superintendent Jenny Nauman said school officials knew they would continue to see growth in the district, with students still registering.  

“It’s a good problem to have, yet we need to look ahead and ensure we have space to continue to provide the best educational experience for our students,” Nauman said. “All of our schools except Lewes Elementary increased enrollment.”

Cape High has grown by 105 students; as of Sept. 30, the school had 1,918 students compared to 1,813 in 2022. In 2021, 1,713 pupils were enrolled, marking a growth of 205 students in two years. Nauman said this number does not include embedded Sussex Consortium students, which makes that actual number over 2,000 students.

In August, district officials submitted two certificates of necessity to the state that would allow for expansions at Cape High to accommodate the growing population. The district expects to know by the end of November if the certificates are approved.

Cape High was just expanded in 2021, when a two-story wing was constructed to hold 400 students in 20 classrooms and four consortium spaces.  

With 705 students, Beacon Middle has the next-highest enrollment, compared to 648 in 2022. Mariner Middle has 682 students enrolled, up from 664 in 2022. 

The planned fall 2024 opening of the district’s third middle school, Frederick D. Thomas in Lewes, is expected to alleviate crowding at Beacon and Mariner by 200 to 250 students each.

Elementary school enrollment has increased by more than 300 students since 2018 and currently stands at 2,841 pupils. With 681 registered students, Love Creek continues to outpace its sister schools; in 2022, 643 pupils were enrolled at the building on Route 24.

Love Creek’s growth has been the topic of recent board discussion and a potential November vote to readjust attendance boundaries to ease overcrowding. The board also voted in 2020 to alleviate crowding at Love Creek for the 2021-22 school year by shifting some students to Rehoboth and Milton schools, decreasing numbers at Love Creek by more than 100 students.

In an Oct. 3 email to Cape families, Superintendent Bob Fulton said Love Creek’s 94-student increase in two years is equivalent to four to five classrooms, about one in each grade level.

With 570 students, Lewes Elementary has the next-highest enrollment, followed closely by Milton Elementary at 565 pupils. In 2022, the schools had 582 and 556 students, respectively.

Rounding out elementary enrollment numbers are Rehoboth Elementary with 528 students, up slightly from 525 students in 2022, and H.O. Brittingham with 497 pupils, up from 484 in 2022.

At 441 pupils in 2023, the total number of Sussex Consortium students has grown from 365 in 2021 and 421 in 2022.

Unit count determinations

State funding pays for a specific number of teachers at each grade level. Classrooms should have one teacher per number of students in each classroom category:

Preschool: 12.8
Kindergarten to third grade: 16.2 (including special education students)
Fourth to 12th grade regular education: 20
Fourth to 12th grade basic special education: 8.4
Pre-K to 12th grade intensive special education: 6
Pre-K to 12th grade complex special education: 2.6.