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The
legislature can accept, reject or modify the plan. It also can
do nothing, leaving the present four-district arrangement in
force. Since the Brandywine, Christina, Colonial and Red Clay
districts are required to submit plans for converting to
closest-to-home student assignments to Delaware Department
of Education by November, any changes for Wilmington
presumably would have to be made before the current Assembly
session ends on June 30.
State
Representative Wayne Smith earlier had told Delaforum the
Assembly will "consider any proposal that conforms to the
requirements of the Neighborhood Schools Act." He is both
the leader of the Republican majority in the lower chamber and
the driving force behind enactment of the controversial law.
Technically
speaking, the city was two weeks past the deadline for
delivering a plan to Dover. Council, however, had formally
notified Assembly leaders of its original action and intent to
override. Political pundits are uncertain what, if any, effect
the split in city leadership concerning the schools issue will
have.
The
Wilmington plan, enacted in ordinance form on Mar.15, asks the
Assembly to empower the city to:
-
Take
the initial steps toward what Theopalis Gregory, chairman of
Council's education committee, said could evolve into one of
the full-fledged urban charter-school district in the
country, as the Wilmington Neighborhood Schools Committee
recommended;
-
Be
divided among two, rather than four, school districts with
the Brandywine being the line of demarcation, rather than
attempt what is deemed politically impossible and merge the
city with those districts to form a single 'metropolitan'
district as the committee recommended;
-
Implement
a series of 'educational enhancement' recommendations put
forth by the schools committee to improve the academic
performance of children living in the city; and
-
Develop
a cooperative program with public libraries to serve areas
identified as poor and having a low level of literacy, and
to establish a statewide advocacy office for children who
are learning disabled and otherwise in need of special
education.
Baker
said in his veto message that he favors "a more
conservative approach." While indicating that he agrees
with most of the main features of the complex plan, he said he
wanted something that "does not disrupt the current four
district system and allows us to plan a model education program
to ensure a better education for our children from pre-school to
12th grade."
Along
with Council president Theodore Blunt, all 12 Council members
voted to override, including Stephanie Bolden who abstained from
voting on the ordinance.
The
veto and the override were the first in Baker's administration.
It came during an otherwise routine Council meeting about 15
minutes before the mayor ceremoniously entered the chamber to
deliver his budget message. He did not refer to it nor did he
have any immediate comment.
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