Breaking News: Dave Wilson Gets A Dem Challenger For Senate District 18!

Jim Purcell, a Democrat from Milford, filed today to run against current State Representative David Wilson for the 18th Senate District seat.

Purcell is best known for leading Communities In Schools from 2005-2017 as their President and Chief Executive Officer.  Currently, Purcell is the Director of Business Development at Dover Behavioral Health.

Wilson shocked the Republican establishment in Delaware when he announced he would not run for State Representative but would instead run for Senator Gary Simpson’s seat.  Simpson wanted to announce his retirement on his own terms but Wilson jumped the gun with his announcement.

For Wilson’s 35th Rep. District seat, Republicans Jesse Vanderwende and Robert “Bobby” Mitchell are facing off next Thursday in the Delaware Primary.

Many political watchers in Delaware were baffled when no one challenged Wilson for a Senate seat.  Two weeks ago, the Delaware Democrats put a challenger up against State Senator Colin Bonini.  It looks like Wilson won’t get such an easy ride to the Delaware Senate now!

Campus Community School Charter School Performance Fund Application

The Delaware DOE, in conjunction with the Charter School Office, offers eligible charter schools in the state to apply for the Charter School Performance Fund.  The DOE is stating this is allocated at $1.5 million to divvy up between the charters, but state lawmakers put $1 million in the budget for it.  We will find out tomorrow or Wednesday what the true amount is.  With that being said, ten charter schools have applied.

What they are applying for will be covered.  We are starting with Campus Community School in Dover, DE, and this will include their written narrative as well as their budget:

Campus Community School has some good ideas.  They want to launch “Project Inspire” to help at-risk kids.  They want to make their library more digital, and hire someone to staff that.  A Saturday initiative sounds promising.  They want to add Communities In Schools full-time for a mentoring program at $43,000.  Wait a minute…

If Communities In Schools was part-time this year, and they want this for full-time, why have they paid them $61,000 for the first eleven months of this fiscal year?  I’m a little bit confused here…

COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS	CAMPUS COMMUNITY SCHOOL	11/25/2014	$13,750.00	0000890314
COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS	CAMPUS COMMUNITY SCHOOL	10/28/2014	$13,750.00	0000873161
COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS	CAMPUS COMMUNITY SCHOOL	1/13/2015	$3,000.00	0000911629
COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS	CAMPUS COMMUNITY SCHOOL	1/13/2015	$13,750.00	0000911629
COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS	CAMPUS COMMUNITY SCHOOL	9/26/2014	$3,000.00	0000856654
COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS	CAMPUS COMMUNITY SCHOOL	3/13/2015	$13,750.00	0000940811

There is some very fuzzy math going on there. Unless Communities In Schools is providing some other type of program for the school that we aren’t aware of here…

If I were the Charter School Office, I would want this very important question answered before I approve this application.

While traditional public school districts are being forced to cut library specialists, charters can just apply for one through this performance fund.  No bias there!  As well, let it be known Campus Community School received over $300,000 the past two fiscal years in what I call the “Charter School Transportation Slush Fund” where Delaware charters get to keep the extra money from their transportation budget if their bus bids are below budget…