Laurel News

A longtime special education teacher at North Laurel Elementary School, who worked with children with severe special needs, faces charges of unlawful imprisonment and endangering the welfare of a child.

A special education teacher in Delaware is accused of tying the hands of two students behind their backs.

A special education teacher at North Laurel Elementary School faces charges of unlawful imprisonment and endangering the welfare of a child.

State police say the front of the vehicle hit the front of a residence in the 8200 block of Bethel Road in Seaford.

The Laurel School District is no longer in immediate financial crisis and will likely be able to meet payroll through June, though leaders are warning that staff cuts appear inevitable next school year. Acting Superintendent Dorothy Nave said this week that austerity measures and help from other districts and the Department of Education have put it back on solid ground -- but they're not a permanent fix. Details of the future staffing cuts are unclear, even to school leaders. School principals have been told to examine plans to cut their staffing by 10 percent, though it's unlikely the cuts will be that deep, Nave told The News Journal. 'We're not going to reduce 10 percent,' she said. 'I'm not going to say what we're going to do, because a lot of things are on the table.' The district's budget for the next fiscal year is being drafted, and much depends on actions the General Assembly takes, she said. Laurel took a $900,000 hit in state funding from its $6.9 million local budget this year, leaving it about $250,000 in the red. Officials first thought the district would run out of money by October, but it appears the money will last until June. But Nave said shifting spending and trimming smaller items still won't solve the district's financial challenges. 'It's when you're talking about people that you get the money,' she said. Nave said there have not been detailed talks with the education union about potential cuts. Sue Darnell, president of the Laurel Education Association, could not be reached for comment. Last summer, Nave implemented cost-saving measures including a hiring freeze and spending restrictions, as well as a ban on out-of-state travel by district employees and restrictions on in-state travel. The district was also able to hire paraprofessionals only for special education and in-school suspension, not as regular classroom aides. Nave said she expects the district to make payroll through June. But even if it doesn't have the money on hand, employees will get paid, she said. 'Everybody's going to get a paycheck. I don't want anybody to get upset,' she said. 'Districts always make payroll. They may have to borrow money ... but my goal is to not have to borrow money.' Staffing cuts will likely focus on support personnel, such as custodians and secretaries. 'You've got to be sure that you offer those things that enable students to get a Delaware high school diploma. You've got to be sure that you provide services to those students with special needs. There are some things you cannot alter very much.' Under the district's union contracts, employees will have to be notified by May 15 if they're not guaranteed a job next year. Nave said she hopes to share the financial outlook with the school board in March, but it may not be made public then. 'We need lots of discussions about these decisions because we're affecting people's lives,' she said. Local civic leaders, meanwhile, have forged ahead to help the schools on their own. Members of the Greater Laurel Chamber of Commerce and the Laurel Lions Club launched a drive last year to pick up the costs of paper for classrooms. The drive, which ended Thursday, netted $6,685. About $5,000 has already been used to buy about 180 cases of paper, and the additional money should be enough to help teachers finish out the school year, Chamber Executive Director Don Dykes said. Athletics, long a key to Laurel's pride but an expensive part of the budget, has seen spending trimmed as well. One team that wanted new uniforms this year didn't get them, and some coaches that were previously paid have agreed to continue as volunteers. But the community has stepped up, just as it did for the paper drive: Bus contractors have offered to transport athletes for free and some staff members wrote personal checks for equipment, Nave said. 'That's been very heart-warming to me to see that kind of support in this community,' she said. 'I've had several people from the community come in to talk to me and assure me that they are going to do what it takes to keep things going in Laurel.' The state budget this year shifted 10 percent of school transportation costs to the districts, about $7.1 million across the state, costing Laurel more than $150,000. And when the state cut its funding for tuition reimbursement for teachers, Laurel did not. 'That's hitting us over $100,000 a year that we're paying out of local funds that used to come, at least a portion of it, from the state,' Nave said. 'If you do that with two or three programs, pretty soon you've hit the bottom of the barrel.' But she said such measures may not be able to continue in the future. What has confused some district residents is that Laurel is in financial difficulty while moving forward with a multimillion-dollar project to replace all of its schools, Nave said. 'I try to explain it as we've got two checkbooks here. The bond money [for school construction] is separate from the operating money,' she said. The district's top leadership also is not permanent, with Nave intending to serve only as the acting superintendent. She stepped up to the job after John McCoy left in June after the school board voted not to extend his contract. The school board is beginning a superintendent search, Nave said. 'They know that I am going to retire, and they know that they do need to move on,' she said.

LAUREL , Del.- A Laurel Intermediate School student is facing disciplinary action after he brought a gun to school and showed it to other students earlier this week, authorities announced Thursday.

The Laurel School District cautioned parents to keep their firearms locked up after a student brought a gun and ammunition to school on Tuesday, according to a information released from the school district.

Michael Triglia and Jerry Wood both say the November 2012 election will be one for the books.A And both men argue they would be the better person to lead Sussex County's Grand Old Party to victory.

A real estate developer said he and four partners plan to make an offer to buy the city's two... The Delaware Fire Marshal is investigating a fire at a Delmar home Tuesday afternoon that officials say was intentionally set.

With David Lee Roth back in the saddle, the album's 13 tracks feel more than a little bit familiar... Laurel police released a surveillance photo of suspect after robbery at bank on U.S. 13 today.

WMDT 47 NEWS - Love is in the air, about 30,000 feet in the air to be exact. Now more and more people are taking flight and finding their fate in the seat next to them.

Around 1 a.m. Jan. 27 the Laurel Police Department's Criminal Investigations Unit was contacted in reference to a assault victim that had just arrived at Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury.

Five Sussex County families face eviction from an illegal apartment complex following a decision Jan.

LAUREL, Del. - Henry McGee's manufactured home was split in half in Aug. of 2011 after Hurricane Irene caused a tree to fall on his home.

LAUREL, Del.- A bill that would raise the age students must be enrolled in school from 16 to 18 in Delaware was tabled on Wednesday.

Worcester County authorities say a 27-year-old employee of Deer Run Golf Club stole more than $45,000 dollars over more than a two-year period by writing herself checks from the business.