Red Clay Consolidated School District

The 'Ask a Question' section of the revised Red Clay web site is intended to give general information about the district, policy, law, and other matters. We have posted some common questions to get us started. Question and answers will be posted on the site. Anyone wishing to submit a question can send it to pati.nash@redclay.k12.de.us.

Q: What are "Choice Bus Stops?"’
A: Choice bus stops are stops outside a school’s attendance zone, where students who are enrolled in schools through the Choice Program are picked up and dropped off.

Q: What is the law?
A: State law DOES NOT provide for Choice Bus Stops. The state Choice application states that parents are responsible for transportation: Delaware Law, Title 14-Education; Chapter 4-Choice Program: Section 409. Transportation: “The parent of any child enrolled in a district other than the district of residence, or enrolled in a school within the district of residence other than the school in which the child would normally be enrolled based upon the residence of the child’s parent(s), shall be responsible for transporting the child without reimbursement to and from a point on a regular bus route of the receiving district.”

Q: What is current policy in Red Clay?
A: Red Clay currently provides Choice Bus Stops to secondary schools.

Q: What about Elementary Schools?
A: Elementary school choice bus stops were eliminated after the district created new Attendance Zones for all elementary schools in 2004.

Q: How does this affect transportation to Cab Calloway School of the Arts and Conrad Schools of Science?
A: The district would continue to provide bus transportation to magnet programs, including Cab Calloway and Conrad.

Q: How many children are assigned to Choice Bus Stops?
A: This school year, 605 students are assigned to Choice Bus stops. The breakdown is as follows:

Q: Why is Red Clay considering elimination of the stops?
A: Several months ago, the district administration proposed eliminating the stops beginning in the 2009-2010 school year for cost savings. The 29 buses run for Choice Bus Stops will cost the district just over $139,000 this current school year.

Q: Where does the issue currently stand?
A: After discussion at the September Board of Education meeting, board members agreed to discuss the issue at the Oct. 15, 2008 Board of Education meeting, 7:30 p.m., Brandywine Springs Elementary School

Q: I am wondering if you can tell me what is going on with the certificate of occupancy at Cab/Charter. People have been saying the teachers can't get in because too many problems have been found. Will they be able to get in today? What problems have been found?

Inspectors from the Wilmington Fire Marshal’s Office and Licenses and Inspections did a walk through at the Wilmington Campus (Cab Calloway School of the Arts, Charter School of Wilmington and Groves Adult Education Center) on Aug. 14, 2008 to determine whether the building – which is undergoing $25 million in renovations - could receive a Certificate of Occupancy.

Several items were found that inspectors believed needed to be addressed prior to the start of school. They included:

Some spaces at the tops of original block walls needed to be filled, as well as some holes left when ceiling grids were removed.
Original data cables in some hallways needed to be rebundled.
Some exit signs needed to have some wiring and/or bulbs replaced.
The new glass wall in front of the school needed fire retardant insulation between the window and the walls.

Construction crews immediately began addressing the inspectors’ concerns. It was determined, however, that work had not progressed sufficiently enough to allow the building be used on Mon., Aug. 18, when Cab Calloway teachers reported back for a week of in-service training. (In-service has been held at another location.) An inspection on Wed., Aug. 20 determined that work was progressing. Inspectors continue to monitor the work and the district expects to have a Certificate of Occupancy within the next 48 hours.

The district fully expects that school will be open to Cab Calloway students and staff on Monday, Aug. 25 as scheduled. The school will use phone announcements, radio messages and websites should this change.
The Groves Adult Education Office has rescheduled registration for Mon. Aug. 25, Tues. Aug. 26 and Wed. Aug. 27 from 5 to 8 p.m. on all three evenings. Registration will be held in the Media Center at Cab Calloway.
The Charter School of Wilmington has modified its school opening schedule. Details can be found at www.charterschool.org under the News and Events section.

Delaware law was enacted in 1996 that allows parents to file a choice application to attend a school regardless of the student’s area of residence. Applications must be submitted one year in advance and are accepted from November 1 to the second Wednesday in January. Enrollment will be based on available space and enrollment criteria. Applications are available at all schools and on the district website. If you have questions, please call the Office of School Choice, 552-3789 or view the full Choice Policy at www.delcode.state.de.us/title14/c004.

Annual physical examinations are required for all students who participate in interscholastic sports. The examination may be performed by school or private physicians, but a standard report, available from the school, must be submitted in all cases. The school retains the final authority to determine who is eligible to play. Students need only one physical for all sports unless an injury or an extended absence from school has occurred since the last examination.

The Red Clay Consolidated School District Board of Education requires all students to attend school every day of the scheduled school year and to be punctual for all assigned classes in order to benefit from the instructional programs and to develop good work habits through self discipline and responsibility.

As one of the qualifications for promotion, credit for course work, eligibility for graduation or administrative assignment, a student shall not exceed 25 days absent during the school year.

Students who exceed 25 days absent, but less than 45 days absent, will be allowed to recover absent days by attending after school programs, Saturday school, or by successfully completing an approved supplemental instructional program. Students who exceed 45 days absent may recover absent days only by attending an approved summer school program.

Absences referred to in this policy includes both excused and unexcused absences for personal illness, family vacation, family problems, professional appointments, suspensions and all other unauthorized absences from school. Days absent from class or school for participation in approved school sponsored activities, such as but not limited to, field trips, driver education, and athletic or academic events shall be excluded from the total number of days absent.

Kindergarten enrollment is mandatory under Delaware law. For September enrollment, children must be five (5) years of age on or before August 31st. Under new legislation, Red Clay offers full day kindergarten classes (8:50 a.m.-3:40 p.m.) at all elementary schools. This law also provides a half-day program if 18 or more families within the district select this option. Parents are asked to indicate their preference for a half-day program at the time of registration by completing the half-day preference form; otherwise students will be entered as full-day kindergarten students.
Half-day regional kindergarten centers are located at Marbrook Elementary and Warner Elementary, with assignment to the specific school based on the home or daycare address provided in registration documents. The district reserves the right to schedule the student into the morning (8:50-11:30 a.m.) or afternoon (12:55- 3:40 p.m.) session based on program capacity and transportation.

Lewis Dual Language Elementary is available through the Choice program and provides full day kindergarten also. Eligibility for this program is based on the district Choice process.

School offices are open for registration of student s from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. on school days. To register a child, parents must have proof of current residence, the child’s birth certificate, immunization records, and physical examination results.

Schools and offices will operate on their regular schedules as long as the health and safety of students and staff can be assured. Should conditions warrant, schools and offices may be either closed, open one or two hours late, or dismissed early. Any such change in schedule will pertain to the entire district, and will be in effect only for the day for which it is made.

When schools are closed for the day, or opened one hour late, radio announcements will begin by 6:30 a.m. when possible. When schools are dismissed early, radio announcements will begin at least one hour prior to dismissal. When schools are closed or dismissed early, all after-school and evening activities are cancelled, including Groves night school.

The district also uses the Delaware Department of Education school closings website (register for an e-mail to be sent when school closings are posted) located at http://schoolclosings.delaware.gov/.

Please be advised that television stations provide limited information. The most detail is available on radio stations and the websites listed above.