14 - CAPE GAZETTE, Friday, June 2 - June 8, 1995
Student pranksters will march
By Kerry Kester
Cape Herdopen High School se-
niors initiated a walk-out protest
on Wednesday, May 28 after
learning two of their classmates
had been told they would not par-
ticipate in graduation exercises.
Joan Tylecki, 17, said that all of
the seniors who were at a gradua-
tion rehearsal Wednesday morn-
ing left the rehearsal in support of
Jeb Lee, 17, and Jeremy Brock-
way, 17. Principal Ron Burrows
said only about 50 or 60 students
participated in the protest.
The problem began on Tuesday,
May 27, when Lee Brockway said
they decided to help 12 to 15 other
pranksters get a head start on this
year's senior class prank. "The
idea was that we were going to re-
move the tables and chairs from
the cafeteria and set them up out-
side on the back lawn of the
school," said Lee.
Plans backfired when, after hav-
ing lined up only six tables, the
boys spotted Confidential Ser-
vices, a private security agency,
approaching the school. The boys
fled to their car, and then sped
down Savannah Road. Lee said a
security officer from the service
followed them.
When a wrong turn led them
down a dead end street, the boys
said they thought they still could
escape by driving through a yard.
"We tried to go around a house,
but there was a fence there," said
Brockway. Shortly after they
were forced to stop, police arrived
and took them to theLewes police
station.
Students banned from ceremo-
ny
Later in the afternoon, Brock-
way and Lee said, Burrows called
them at home and told them they
would not be able to march during
graduation exercises on Tuesday,
June 8.
"The decision was made with
Dr. Skeen," Burrows said. "Basi-
cally, I think we both felt that
breaking and entering is a fairly
serious crime. We don't see that
as a 'prank'. It's not something to
be taken lightly."
During Wednesday's rehearsal,
after word circulated to the senior
class that administrators were for-
bidding the boys from participat-
ing in graduation ceremonies, stu-
dents left the building and asked
Burrows to arrange an immediate
meeting with District Superinten-
dent Suellen Skeen. Burrows said
he called the district office to
make the request but she said she
was in a meeting and could not
meet with the students.
When students learned that she
would not meet with them, ap-
proximately 20 students walked to
the district office, intent on push-
ing their cause. "Mr. Smith [di-
rector of secondary education]
came and told us she'd only meet
with three representatives," said
Tracy Hudson, a senior.
"We don't even know what she
looks like," said Hudson. "We've
had problems before, and she al-
ways seems to hide out from us.
If she's going to be head of the
school, she should know the stu-
dents." Later, Hudson was one of
four student representatives, in ad-
dition to Lee and Brockway, who
met with Skeen.
Meeting with Skeen positive
"I had a real good meeting with
the kids," said Skeen. "They
wanted to be heard. They had
some other options that they want-
ed to discuss, and they did. We
solved a student personnel prob-
lem. We came up with a reason-
able solution as far as the boys are
concerned.
• "Unfortunately, they caused
some of their classmates some re-
al discomfort." She said that the
students told her their classmates
"were rather angry about" having
to schedule another rehearsal.
Tylecki denied Skeen's asser-
tion. "It was said by Dr. Burrows
that it might be a problem or a
shame if some students couldn't
attend Friday's rehearsal because
of work schedules," she said.
"Students in that meeting voiced
no opposition whatsoever that
graduation rehearsal would be
rescheduled. We were just pulling
for Jet) and Jeremy at all costs."
Burrows said that students told
him while they waited for
Wednesday's rehearsal to begin
that they were angry. "Probably
60 or 70 were angry," he said.
"They were working jobs and it
was a great inconvenience to
them."
The boys said they wrote letters
of apology to administrators indi-
cating they were willing to as-
sume full responsibility for their
behavior. However, they said,
they asked that they be able to
Kerry Kester photo
Cape Henlopen High School seniors studied peaceful
protest when they fought to keep graduation privileges for
seniors whose class prank ran afoul. Joan Tylecki, along with
a mass of other students, was instrumental in helping Jeb Lee
O.) and Jeremy Brockway negotiate an alternative punish-
ment with Superintendent Suellen Skeen. The boys will par-
tieipate in the ceremony on Tuesday, June 6.
march in the ceremony because it
was an important event for their
families. "It was hurting them
more than it was us," Brockway
said.
Skeen agreed during the meet-
ing to rescind the boys' gradua-
tion expulsion punishment, but
substituted another consequence.
"Basically, we're going to be
working with the custodians for
the next couple of days," Lee said.
Parents' judgment questioned
Katie Rickards, one of the stu-
dent representatives who met with
Skeen, said many of the seniors
were determined to boycott the
boys' expulsion from the ceremo-
ny if the punishment had not been
rescinded. "I think they were
committed," she said. "Half of
the class probably wouldn't have
marched."
She said that parents knew of
the prank before it occurred.
"There was parent support be-
cause the prank wasn't going to be
destructive or harm anyone," she
said. Tylecki said she believed
most parents would also have sup-
ported the graduation boycott.
Burrows said, "I think there was
poor judgment. There are a num-
ber of parents who knew about
this and didn't really give the kids
very good guidance."
Lee and Brockway said they at-
tribute the protest with the success
of getting Skeen to rescind her ini-
tial decision to ban them from the
ceremony. "We appreciate the
support from the students, the
teachers and parents," he said.
'q'he students all behaved in an
adult and forthright manner,"
Skeen said. "I would have been
very proud of any of them if they
had been my child."
Cape School Board upholds attendance deviation policy
By Kerry Kester
The Cape Henlopen Board of
Education has voted to grant at-
tendance deviations for students
from the northern part of the Cape
Henlopen School District for one
more year.
During a board meeting on
Thursday, May 25 board members
wrestled with the decision, weigh-
ing parents' desire to have their
children attend Milford schools
against a loss of district revenue if
the children attended Cape
schools.
Parents from four housing de-
velopments attended the meeting
to voice their concern that the dis-
trict was considering requiring the
students to attend Cape schools.
Most of the parents indicated that
their children have always attend-
ed the schools in the Milford dis-
trict and were part of Milford
community life.
The developments in question
are South Shores, Cedar Creek Es-
tates, Cedar Village and Meadows
at Cubbage Pond.
In most situations, a Milford el-
ementary school is from two to
four miles from the housing de-
velopments. The nearest. Cape el-
ementary school is five or six
miles away.
According to Nick Delcampo,
the developer of two of the hous-
ing areas, Cape Henlopen High
School is approximately 20 miles
from the developments. Milford
High School is approximately five
miles away.
At stake for the district was
whether the 24 students who
would attend H. O. Brittingham
Elementary School would be
enough to qualify the school for
an assistant principal. "What
we're concerned about is the qual-
ity of education at H. O. B. for our
students," said Dave Baker, hoard
member.
Delcampo said the problem
originated in 1989 when he met
with a board member and the
transportation supervisors from
both districts. After evaluating
maps drawn in 1973, confusion
arose as to where the district
boundaries were. He said adding
to the confusion was that both dis-
tricts, the Department of Public
Instruction and a surveying com-
pany all had different fines drawn
on their maps.
"That's four different interpre.-
tations," Delcampo said. In the
fall of 1992, Delcampo said he
met with the transportation super-
visors from both districts and they
formed a "gentleman's agree-
ment" that the western side of
Meadows at Cubbage Pond would
be in the Milford district and the
eastern side would be in the Cape
district.
Delcampo said he then sold
properties in the area "under that
accord." In the following school
year there were no problems, he
said.
Now, as the issue of attendance
deviations again becomes a prob-
lem for some families, Delcampo
is attempting to get the issue set-
tled for both Meadows at Cubbage
Pond and Cedar Village.
He said all of the residents have
signed letters, addressed to both
districts, requesting their lots be
permanently changed to the Mil-
ford district. "Our taxes were paid
to the Milford School District and
bus transportation was provided to
the Milford schools," the letter
states.
Delcampo saidthat according to
his. understanding of the law, if
everyone in the development is in
Cape Henlopen School District
Tax Rate Fiscal Year '96
FY95 FY95
Current Expense Tax 1.28 1.325
Debt Service Tax .085 .04
Tuition Tax .215 .18
Minor Capital Improvements Tax .02 .04
Total 1.60 1.585
The Cape Henlopen Board of Education voted on Thursday,
May 25 to lower the tax rate for d/strict residents.. The total
tax rate per $100 of assessed property value in 1995 was $1.60.
In 1996 it will drop to $1.59. Current expense tax rates can be
increased only by referendum. Debt service tax rates are for
voter approved projects. Tuition tax rates are determined by
the number of special needs students whose educational
plans require special school services. School beards deter-
mine those based on projected need and adjust annually as
needed. Minor capital improvement tax rates are those taxes
needed to offset the state share and are determined by formu-
la.
full agreement and both districts its existing attendance deviation
agree, their request can be grant- policy and grant deviations for
ed. He said he is not aware of any this school year. It decided at the
efforts from residents in either the hoard meeting to discuss the poli-
Cedar Creek Estates or South cy further at a June meeting. It
Shores developments to make a has not yet received the letters
similar reqnest, from parents requesting the
- The board has agreed to follow houndm'y changes. .........