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Del. tackles educational challenges, 50 schools identified as low-performing

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Del. tackles educational challenges, 50 schools identified as low-performing


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Fifty schools in Delaware are grappling with the weight of low performance, a figure that underscores the pressing challenges within the state’s education system.

Students in these schools are falling behind. For some schools, it’s the majority of the student body that’s struggling. For others, poor performance is more limited to specific subgroups, such as English language learners, students with disabilities or certain racial and ethnic groups.

The state identifies low-performing schools after an accountability calculation conducted annually, which evaluates student performance and categorizes schools into Comprehensive School Improvement or Targeted School Improvement.

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“The difference between them are really whether the whole school, like all students are underperforming – CSI – or whether it is a specific sub-population – TSI,” said Laura Saperstein, the education associate for accountability in the Office of Assessment and Accountability. “In our [Every Student Succeeds Act] plan, we are required to have certain subpopulations like race and ethnicity broken out as well as special populations like students with disability, English language learners.”

“We rank all of the Title 1 schools from the highest to lowest and the bottom 5% are what set our threshold. Now, we do have schools that are non-Title 1s. So if any of them fall below the threshold, they might also be identified,” she added.

Title 1 schools are schools that have 40% or more low-income students, or schools with an low-income percentage that equals or is higher than the district’s low-income percentage, according to the Delaware Department of Education’s website.

The CSI and TSI initiatives were implemented as part of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act in 2015, which aimed to hold states accountable for public schools serving students from kindergarten to 12th grade. Since then, the Department of Education has utilized a complex identification process through the Delaware School Success Framework, tailored to different school models, including elementary, middle and high school models.

“Within the school success framework, there are four to five indicators that they are being measured on,” Saperstein said. “Within each indicator, there are several measures. So, for example, the academic achievement indicator, the school quality and student success, the graduation indicator, and the growth in early language development, for the kids that are English language learners.”

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Delaware County school employee accused of sex assault of minor in Texas

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Delaware County school employee accused of sex assault of minor in Texas


Authorities say a Delaware County school employee is accused of traveling to Texas to sexually assault a minor he met online.

What we know:

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Michael Robinson, 43, was taken into custody near Radnor Middle School where investigators say he worked as a paraprofessional.

Investigators believe Robinson traveled to Tyler, Texas in the summer of 2024 to meet a minor he had connected with online.

Robinson, according to U.S. Marshals, allegedly sexually assaulted the teen over the course of a weekend. 

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Delaware County school employee accused of sex assault of minor in Texas

Prosecutors in Smith County, Texas charged Robinson in December with Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child Under 15-years-old.

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Robinson is being held at a Delaware County jail where he is awaiting extradition to Texas.

What they’re saying:

U.S. Marshals in Pennsylvania said Robinson’s arrest shows that “sexual predators will always be pursued relentlessly.”

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The Radnor Township School District said Robinson has been placed on leave and will not have contact with students.

“Parents of the limited number of children to whom the employee was assigned were contacted by the administration immediately.”

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The district said it is cooperating with law enforcement and has “no information indicating misconduct involving district students.”

Crime & Public SafetyDelaware CountyNews



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Rehoboth cancels 2026 Polar Bear Plunge after major snowstorm

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Rehoboth cancels 2026 Polar Bear Plunge after major snowstorm


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Rehoboth Beach has canceled the upcoming 2026 Lewes Polar Bear Plunge and 5K Run to the Plunge as the Sussex County resort town continues dealing with the aftermath of last weekend’s snowstorm, organizers of the annual Special Olympics fundraiser said on Feb. 26.

“Rehoboth Beach is navigating significant challenges because of the snowstorm,” a Special Olympics Delaware email announced. “At present, the boardwalk and all beach crossings remain snow covered and many sidewalks throughout downtown Rehoboth are as well.”

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The plunge and 5K had been rescheduled to March 1 after severe weather conditions in late January caused it to be moved from its original Feb. 1 date.

The plunge will not be rescheduled for this year.

Last weekend’s storm brought nearly 2 feet of snow to parts of Sussex, closing hundreds of roads when trees and wires were downed. There were also power outages across the county, including Rehoboth Beach which had to restore power to its wastewater treatment facility.

Plunging for a cause

The polar bear plunge is one of Special Olympics Delaware’s more popular fundraisers, drawing more than 4,000 participants last year.

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In recent years, the event has been bringing in more than a million dollars for Special Olympics Delaware. Last year, plunge events drew $1.3 million, just shy of the record-breaking $1.5 million raised in 2024.

Alex Seymore, Special Olympics Delaware’s director of digital media, said the organization had already raised more than $1 million from this year’s event.

“We expect a small impact,” Seymore told Delaware Online/The News Journal. “But again, we’re showing that we’ve raised over a million dollars.

He added they are reviewing how the cancelation will impact them and their services.

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“It’s been just a couple hours, so we’re not completely positive how it will impact things in the long run,” he said. “We’re thankful for everybody that’s helped raise this money through this time.”

What is still occurring

While the plunge and 5k and been canceled this year, there are other indoor events that will continue as scheduled:

Feb. 27

  • 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. – pick up packets and souvenir sales for the Plunge and 5K Run to the Plunge at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, 229 Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth Beach.

Feb. 28

  • noon to 2 p.m. ​Fire & Ice in the Atlantic Sands Ballroom, 1 Baltimore Ave, Rehoboth Beach.
  • 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Restaurant chili contest.
  • 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. – pick up packets and souvenir sales for the Plunge and 5K Run to the Plunge at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, 229 Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth Beach.

Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com.



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Trump Accounts for kids; are they available in Delaware?

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Trump Accounts for kids; are they available in Delaware?


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President Donald Trump touted his Trump Accounts for kids platform during his State of the Union address Tuesday, Feb. 24, months before the savings account program goes live this summer.

Roughly 63% of parents open bank accounts for the newborns and young children according to The Financial Brand, showing that in general, opening a bank accounts for your child is a good idea.

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But what, exactly, are Trump Accounts for kids, and does it make sense for you to open one for your child? Here’s everything you need to know.

Trump Account for kids explained

The IRS explained in a memo Trump Accounts will be available for any children under 18, with $1,000 seed money available for newborns and very young children.

That account will be seeded with federal government funds.

“A Trump account is a type of traditional individual retirement account that is established for the exclusive benefit of an eligible individual and that is designated at its establishment as a Trump account,” read the IRS’ Trump Accounts memo. “Upon an election under the pilot program, $1,000 is paid by the Secretary to the Trump account of an eligible child.

“An eligible child means a qualifying child who is born after December 31, 2024 and before January 1, 2029, who is a U.S. citizen, and for whom no prior pilot program election has been made.”

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The Trump Accounts website confirms parents do not need to make a contribution, but can deposit up to $5,000 a year into the interest-bearing account.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in comments published Jan. 28 a single $1,000 deposit into a Trump Account at birth should grow to an estimated $500,000 by the age of retirement.

When will Trump Accounts for kids lunch, and can I apply in Delaware?

Trump Accounts for kids will go live on Monday, July 5, and parents in Delaware are allowed to apply for the nationwide offering when it opens.

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Until then, you can visit the Trump Accounts website to add your name to the email list to get an update when the service goes live.

The IRS and U.S. Department of the Treasury released Trump Accounts guidance you can read before opening an account.

Problems with Trump Accounts for kids

While opening a Trump Account for your child may seem a good thing, TIME uncovered a few problems with President Donald Trump’s namesake account service.

“The program may be open to every child, but its benefits will flow overwhelmingly to families with the means to contribute thousands of dollars a year. What could have been a leveling tool instead risks becoming a widening wedge between the haves and the have-nots,” read a portion of TIME’s take. “For a family living paycheck-to-paycheck that is unable to add anything beyond the government’s $1,000 seed deposit, the balance reaches just $5,839 by age 18. “

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies echoed much of that sentiment, and said Trump Accounts for kids will have the opposite effect from its stated goals.

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Damon C. Williams is a Philadelphia-based journalist reporting on trending topics across the Mid-Atlantic Region.



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