As a dedicated educator at Cape Henlopen High School for more than 18 years, I have witnessed firsthand the transformative power of a supportive and resource-rich educational environment. Our community stands at a crucial landmark with the upcoming referendum, so I am reaching out to urge you to vote yes – a vote that will significantly impact our students and educators alike.
When I first walked into Cape Henlopen High School in 2006, we had 800 students in an old building that was difficult to teach in – no windows, barely any air to breathe. Today, we have more than 2,000 students. As our community grew, future referendums allowed us to build our current modern facilities, offering our students access to technology and updated curriculum and preparing them for jobs where they would give back to our community. The environment we have built with your support has been crucial. We are deeply grateful for being able to offer our students one of the best school environments in the state.
Our school district is experiencing growth, and with more students walking through our doors, the need for sufficient space and resources becomes even more pressing. This referendum promises to enhance our facilities, ensuring our schools can accommodate this growth efficiently and effectively. The benefits of smaller class sizes are various and well-documented: they allow for more individualized instruction, greater student engagement and improved academic outcomes. This isn't just beneficial for students; it enables us, as educators, to do our jobs effectively, ensuring every child gets the attention they deserve.
Moreover, our students' achievements in Advanced Placement courses and on the SAT are outstanding. Our AP students consistently perform above state and national averages, with many scoring high enough to earn college credit before even graduating high school. Similarly, our students' SAT scores have seen remarkable improvements, further illustrating the effectiveness of our teaching and the quality of our educational programs.
The passage of this referendum means investing in the future of our community. Enhanced educational facilities attract skilled educators, provide opportunities for our youth and ultimately uplift our community's overall well-being. Many of our graduates, whether they become athletes, musicians, writers, lawyers, nurses, doctors or give back to the community through different trades, are a testament to the quality of education and support they received at Cape Henlopen High School. These successes would not be possible without the village – without the support and trust of our community members.
Today, we need your support and trust to invest in our community's education. By voting yes, you support our mission to provide every student with the quality education they need to succeed in an ever-evolving world. Please join me in voting yes for the referendum. Together, we can ensure that Cape Henlopen continues to be a place where education is valued and our children can thrive.
Thank you for your time and your continued support of our schools.
-
A letter to the editor expresses a reader's opinion and, as such, is not reflective of the editorial opinions of this newspaper.
To submit a letter to the editor for publishing, send an email to newsroom@capegazette.com. Letters must be signed and include a telephone number and address for verification. Please keep letters to 500 words or fewer. We reserve the right to edit for content and length. Letters should be responsive to issues addressed in the Cape Gazette rather than content from other publications or media. Only one letter per author will be published every 30 days. Letters restating information and opinions already offered by the same author will not be used. Letters must focus on issues of general, local concern, not personalities or specific businesses.
