Delaware parents petition state to allow money to follow child for school choice, a tax credit for home-schooled children and pandemic relief for day cares when faced with crisis.

Parents in the Indian River School District have been left up in the air with how schools will re-open and how needs will be met for all students.  Special needs students and I.E.P. students face more challenges to achieve academic learning. Their needs are not being met with online  or hybrid schooling.  

Mandating mask wearing prevents children with special needs the importance of seeing mouth movements for learning.  Students who need emotional support are also missing out on these vital services. 

Not all students have access to reliable internet or a means of getting to a location that has a hot-spot.  Daycare centers that provide additional support to students during this online learning struggle with reliable internet service as well.  Daycare centers also struggle with helping student and parents with online learning instead of actual teacher instruction.  Special need students miss out entirely on academic support at learning centers.  

Possible options being discussed is withholding school tax when paying yearly property tax this year which is coming up in September 2021 until all needs and concerns are heard and met.
*Tax Credit to Daycares for providing additional services to meet needs of children in daycare/school environment.  Tax Credits for parents whom decide to home-school during this time in our crisis.    

So far there have been no reported cases involving Covid with children in a daycare facility, we are all told children don’t show signs of spreading this virus.  At this point parents are facing higher cost of keeping children at home with online or hybrid learning, private and or homeschooling.  Kids need schooling now, we have already lost 4 months of 2020 to a virus that has A very low death rate.  7 months total have gone nowhere with planning on this pending academic year. As of this date, August 17, 2020 the state under Gov. Carney's order could still decide no in school instruction.  

Immediate needs, provide all daycare centers and student homes access to strong internet to meet online schooling support.  Provide tutors to meet and provide one on one support. Provide counseling needs and in person I.E.P. needs.  Provide financial support to families to offset increased daycare cost to have access to tutors if school won’t provide these tutors. In the event a parent chooses home-school during this school year 20/21 school choice will be saved for the student when school resumes full time in session. 

Tax Bills are being sent and delivered to our doors now.  Our voices need to be heard and what better way than to use our own tax dollars to make them hear us!  

P.S.  I have been speaking with Senator Gerald Hocker for the last five days and he has requested someone call and talk to me, as of this post, still no return calls so I feel we need to move onto this petition.