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Indian River School District, Delaware, elections
| Indian River School District |
|---|
 |
| District details |
| School board members: 10 |
| Students: 10,799 (2022-2023) |
| Schools: 16 (2022-2023) |
| Website: Link |
Indian River School District is a school district in Delaware (Sussex County). During the 2023 school year, 10,799 students attended one of the district's 16 schools.
This page provides information regarding school board members, election rules, finances, academics, policies, and more details about the district.
Elections
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Indian River School District school board, District 1
General election
General election for Indian River School District school board, District 1
Dereck Booth, Lisa Hudson Briggs, and Kelly Kline ran in the general election for Indian River School District school board, District 1 on May 13, 2025.
Candidate | ||
| Dereck Booth (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Lisa Hudson Briggs (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Kelly Kline (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Indian River School District school board, District 2
General election
General election for Indian River School District school board, District 2
Jerry Peden Jr. ran in the general election for Indian River School District school board, District 2 on May 13, 2025.
Candidate | ||
| Jerry Peden Jr. (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Indian River School District school board, District 4
General election
General election for Indian River School District school board, District 4
Michelle F. Parsons ran in the general election for Indian River School District school board, District 4 on May 13, 2025.
Candidate | ||
| Michelle F. Parsons (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Indian River School District school board, District 1
General election
Special general election for Indian River School District school board, District 1
Lisa Hudson Briggs and Kelly Kline ran in the special general election for Indian River School District school board, District 1 on May 14, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| Lisa Hudson Briggs (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Kelly Kline (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Indian River School District school board, District 3
General election
General election for Indian River School District school board, District 3
Heather Statler and Mark L. Steele ran in the general election for Indian River School District school board, District 3 on May 14, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| Heather Statler (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Mark L. Steele (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Indian River School District school board, District 4
General election
General election for Indian River School District school board, District 4
Joshua W. Hudson and Anita West-Werner ran in the general election for Indian River School District school board, District 4 on May 14, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| Joshua W. Hudson (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Anita West-Werner (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Indian River School District school board, District 5
General election
General election for Indian River School District school board, District 5
Derek E. Cathell and Kim Law Taylor ran in the general election for Indian River School District school board, District 5 on May 14, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| Derek E. Cathell (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Kim Law Taylor (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Indian River School District school board, District 2
General election
General election for Indian River School District school board, District 2
Michael R. Bellerose, Leo J. Darmstadter III, and Ivan D. Neal ran in the general election for Indian River School District school board, District 2 on May 9, 2023.
Candidate | ||
| Michael R. Bellerose (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Leo J. Darmstadter III (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Ivan D. Neal (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Indian River School District school board, District 3
General election
General election for Indian River School District school board, District 3
Leolga T. Wright ran in the general election for Indian River School District school board, District 3 on May 9, 2023.
Candidate | ||
| Leolga T. Wright (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Indian River School District school board, District 2
General election
General election for Indian River School District school board, District 2
Incumbent Gerald Peden won election in the general election for Indian River School District school board, District 2 on May 10, 2016.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Gerald Peden (Nonpartisan) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Indian River School District school board, District 3
General election
General election for Indian River School District school board, District 3
Incumbent Heather Statler won election in the general election for Indian River School District school board, District 3 on May 10, 2016.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Heather Statler (Nonpartisan) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Election rules
Election dates and frequency
School board general elections in Delaware are held on the second Tuesday in May every year.
See law: Delaware Statutes Title 14, Chapter 10, Section 1072
Below are the recent/upcoming dates for all regular public school districts in the state. There may be exceptions to these dates for specific districts because of local charters and district-specific exceptions and carve-outs.
- Filing deadline date: March 6, 2026
- General election date: May 12, 2026
Election system
School board members in Delaware are elected through nonpartisan general elections without primaries. In the case of a tie vote, another election must be held on the third Saturday in June following the May general election.
Members of the board of education for vocational-technical school districts in Delaware are appointed by the governor not elected.
See law: Delaware Statutes Title 14, Chapter 10, Section 1072
and Delaware Statutes Title 14, Chapter 10, Section 1051
Party labels on the ballot
School board elections in Delaware are nonpartisan, which means party labels do not appear on the ballot for school board candidates. Delaware Statute states, "For the election of school board members, the names of all filed candidates shall be listed alphabetically without political party designation."
See law: Delaware Statutes Title 14, Chapter 10, Section 1076
Winning an election
The school board candidate that receives the largest number of votes in the general election is elected to office.
See law: Delaware Statutes Title 14, Chapter 10, Section 1083
Term length and staggering
School board members in Delaware are elected to four-year terms. A 2021 bill changed the length of school board terms from five years to four years starting with 2022 elections and going forward. The 2021 bill changing school board term lengths from five years to four years was designed to allow the completion of five-year terms that had already begun.
See law: Delaware Statutes Title 14, Chapter 10, Sections 1066, 1068, and 1069
Representation: at large vs. by sub-district
By default, the board members of school districts in Delaware are elected at large by all voters in the district. However, state law provides specifically for five districts to elect school board members by sub-district and two districts to elect school board members through a combination of at-large and by-subdistrict seats.
The board members of Cape Henlopen School District and Milford School School District are elected through a combination of four seats by sub-district and three seats at large.
The board members of Brandywine School District, Christina School District, Colonial School District, and Red Clay School District are elected one each from seven different sub-districts. The board members of Indian River School District are elected two each from five different sub-districts.
See law: Delaware Statutes Title 14, Chapter 10, Sections 1066, 1068, and 1069
and Delaware Statutes Title 14, Chapter 10, Section 1069
and Delaware Statutes Title 14, Chapter 10, Sections 1066 and 1068
Filing deadlines and swearing-in dates
School board candidates must file notices of candidacy by 4:30 pm on the first Friday in March before the election.
See law: Delaware Statutes Title 14, Chapter 10, Section 1075
Newly elected school board members officially take office on the first day of July following their election.
See law: Delaware Statutes Title 14, Chapter 10, Sections 1052, 1066, 1068, and 1069
About the district
School board
The Indian River School District consists of 10 members serving five-year terms. To find information about school board meetings, click here.
| Name | Seat | Year assumed office | Year term ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Steele | District 3 | 2024 | 2028 |
| Anita West-Werner | District 4 | 2024 | 2028 |
| Kimberly Taylor | District 5 | 2023 | 2028 |
| Derek Cathell | District 5 | 2018 | 2028 |
| Ivan Neal | District 2 | 2023 | 2027 |
| Leolga Wright | District 3 | 2012 | 2027 |
| Lisa Hudson Briggs | District 1 | 2024 | 2025 |
| Kelly Kline | District 1 | 2024 | 2025 |
| Constance Pryor | District 4 | 2020 | 2025 |
| Gerald Peden | District 2 | 2015 | 2025 |
Join the conversation about school board politics
District map
Overlapping state house districts
The table was limited to the lower chamber because it provides the most granularity. State house districts tend to be more numerous and therefore smaller than state senate or U.S. House districts. This provides an impression of the partisan affiliations in the area.
Budget
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[1]
| SOURCE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal: | $11,969,000 | $1,130 | 6% |
| Local: | $58,561,000 | $5,529 | 29% |
| State: | $128,560,000 | $12,137 | 65% |
| Total: | $199,090,000 | $18,796 |
| TYPE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Expenditures: | $180,332,000 | $17,025 | |
| Total Current Expenditures: | $169,543,000 | $16,006 | |
| Instructional Expenditures: | $103,265,000 | $9,749 | 57% |
| Student and Staff Support: | $23,041,000 | $2,175 | 13% |
| Administration: | $14,712,000 | $1,388 | 8% |
| Operations, Food Service, Other: | $28,525,000 | $2,693 | 16% |
| Total Capital Outlay: | $6,326,000 | $597 | |
| Construction: | $4,976,000 | $469 | |
| Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: | $0 | $0 | |
| Interest on Debt: | $532,000 | $50 |
Academic performance
Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements. To protect student privacy, percentages are reported as ranges for groups of 300 students or fewer. If five or fewer students were included in a data set, the data will display as "PS."[2]
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 25 | 50-59 | 11 | 16 | <50 | 20-24 | 35 |
| 2018-2019 | 52 | 60-64 | 32 | 46 | 40-49 | 45-49 | 62 |
| 2017-2018 | 51 | 65-69 | 32 | 42 | 40-49 | 45-49 | 61 |
| 2016-2017 | 50 | 60-64 | 32 | 42 | 40-49 | 45-49 | 60 |
| 2015-2016 | 48 | 65-69 | 28 | 39 | 30-39 | 45-49 | 58 |
| 2014-2015 | 43 | 65-69 | 24 | 36 | 30-39 | 40-44 | 52 |
| 2013-2014 | 79 | 90-94 | 63 | 75 | 80-84 | 75-79 | 85 |
| 2012-2013 | 82 | 85-89 | 70 | 81 | 80-89 | 75-79 | 86 |
| 2011-2012 | 85 | 85-89 | 72 | 82 | 80-89 | 85-89 | 89 |
| 2010-2011 | 77 | 80-84 | 57 | 74 | 70-79 | 80-84 | 83 |
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 41 | 50-59 | 28 | 28 | >=50 | 40-44 | 55 |
| 2018-2019 | 58 | 65-69 | 40 | 50 | 50-59 | 50-54 | 69 |
| 2017-2018 | 60 | 75-79 | 46 | 47 | 70-79 | 60-64 | 71 |
| 2016-2017 | 61 | 80-84 | 44 | 49 | 50-59 | 65-69 | 71 |
| 2015-2016 | 60 | 70-74 | 42 | 49 | 70-79 | 60-64 | 71 |
| 2014-2015 | 58 | 75-79 | 40 | 48 | 50-59 | 60-64 | 68 |
| 2013-2014 | 79 | 85-89 | 64 | 70 | 85-89 | 75-79 | 86 |
| 2012-2013 | 81 | 75-79 | 67 | 75 | 80-89 | 80-84 | 87 |
| 2011-2012 | 82 | 80-84 | 67 | 75 | 80-89 | 90-94 | 89 |
| 2010-2011 | 72 | 70-79 | 56 | 62 | 70-79 | 75-79 | 80 |
The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-2020 | 85 | >=50 | 85-89 | 70-74 | PS | >=80 | 90 |
| 2018-2019 | 85 | >=50 | 85-89 | 70-74 | PS | >=80 | 90 |
| 2017-2018 | 84 | >=50 | 85-89 | 70-74 | PS | >=80 | 90 |
| 2016-2017 | 84 | >=50 | 85-89 | 70-74 | PS | >=80 | 90 |
| 2015-2016 | 83 | PS | 80-84 | 65-69 | PS | >=80 | 90 |
| 2014-2015 | 85 | PS | 80-84 | 75-79 | PS | >=50 | 88 |
| 2013-2014 | 89 | >=50 | 80-84 | 85-89 | PS | PS | 90 |
| 2012-2013 | 87 | PS | 80-84 | 85-89 | PS | 88 | |
| 2011-2012 | 87 | >=50 | 85-89 | 90-94 | PS | PS | 86 |
| 2010-2011 | 84 | >=50 | 80-84 | 75-79 | PS | PS | 86 |
Students
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[3]
| Year | Enrollment | Year-to-year change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2022-2023 | 10,799 | 1.4 |
| 2021-2022 | 10,651 | 0.6 |
| 2020-2021 | 10,592 | -3.3 |
| 2019-2020 | 10,942 | 2.2 |
| 2018-2019 | 10,697 | 1.2 |
| 2017-2018 | 10,571 | 1.7 |
| 2016-2017 | 10,392 | 2.6 |
| 2015-2016 | 10,122 | 3.7 |
| 2014-2015 | 9,752 | 4.5 |
| 2013-2014 | 9,313 | 3.3 |
| 2012-2013 | 9,008 | 2.9 |
| 2011-2012 | 8,746 | -0.4 |
| 2010-2011 | 8,784 | 1.0 |
| 2009-2010 | 8,700 | 2.5 |
| 2008-2009 | 8,485 | 2.8 |
| 2007-2008 | 8,247 | 1.3 |
| 2006-2007 | 8,138 | 3.1 |
| 2005-2006 | 7,887 | 1.1 |
| 2004-2005 | 7,802 | 0.6 |
| 2003-2004 | 7,757 | 0.1 |
| 2002-2003 | 7,746 | 3.0 |
| 2001-2002 | 7,516 | -1.1 |
| 2000-2001 | 7,601 | -1.1 |
| 1999-2000 | 7,681 | 0.0 |
| RACE | Indian River School District (%) | Delaware K-12 STUDENTS (%) |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.9 | 4.3 |
| Black | 10.4 | 30.5 |
| Hispanic | 37.4 | 19.0 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Two or More Races | 3.9 | 5.2 |
| White | 46.9 | 40.5 |
Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Staff
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[4]
As of the 2022-2023 school year, Indian River School District had 766.50 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 14.09.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF TEACHERS |
|---|---|
| Prekindergarten: | 1.00 |
| Kindergarten: | 7.00 |
| Elementary: | 351.50 |
| Secondary: | 407.00 |
| Total: | 766.50 |
Indian River School District employed 0.00 district administrators and 67.00 school administrators as of the 2022-2023 school year.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS |
|---|---|
| District Administrators: | 0.00 |
| District Administrative Support: | 15.00 |
| School Administrators: | 67.00 |
| School Administrative Support: | 32.00 |
| TYPE | NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF |
|---|---|
| Instructional Aides: | 221.00 |
| Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: | 23.00 |
| Total Guidance Counselors: | 31.00 |
| Elementary Guidance Counselors: | 10.00 |
| Secondary Guidance Counselors: | 21.00 |
| Librarians/Media Specialists: | 3.00 |
| Library/Media Support: | 0.00 |
| Student Support Services: | 55.00 |
| Other Support Services: | 188.84 |
Schools
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[5]
About school boards
Education legislation in Delaware
Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.
See also
| School Boards | Education Policy | Local Politics | Delaware |
|---|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2018-19 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
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