Adult Ed classes safe for now

The Indian River School Board is not cutting Adult Education courses, said district representative Dave Maull. Rather, they are going ahead with the fall session, and – on the condition that the classes can become self-sustaining – will offer the usual winter and spring sessions, too.

Noting earlier actions the State of Delaware took with its education budget, Maull said that the district had to cut its operating expenses by about $1 million and had been looking at cutting Adult Education classes to do so.

“Community members and adult educators spoke,” Maull said of the August IRSD board meeting, “urging the board to keep them – and the board listened. They heard the public’s concerns.”

As for whether self-sufficiency of the classes is a reasonable goal, Maull explained that last year, over the course of the school year, they did bring in enough revenue to pay the instructors – but the amount was not enough to pay for personnel costs for oversight at the district office.

Along with self-sufficiency of the classes, other cost-cutting measures that could help the bottom line for Adult Education include a plan by which the district will be saving money on postage and printing costs by only offering the Adult Education course catalog online.

Catalogs will no longer be printed or mailed to Sussex County residents.

“The Board of Education has listened to the public’s concerns and continues to support the Adult Education program,” Superintendent Susan Bunting said.

“However, in an effort to contain costs and make the program self-sufficient, the district will not mail a course catalog this fall. Adult Education will continue to offer most of the same course selections as in the past. Thus, I encourage all district residents to visit the Adult Ed Web site to see what this wonderful program has to offer.”

Prospective students can go online (at www.irsd-adulted.com) to view the catalog, learn more about classes and to register, or they can call (302) 436-1010. Maull added that a decision on winter and spring classes would likely be made in December.

The Adult Education Program serves all communities in the Indian River School District and surrounding areas. It offers more than 30 courses in the areas of technology, recreation, arts and crafts, fitness and defensive driving. The program’s “basic education” component offers GED, English as a Second Language, civics and other related courses. The fall session will run from September through December.

This fall’s course offerings include: Indoor Field Hockey (this class is for second- through fifth-grade girls); Basketball for Girls (this class is for students in the first through sixth grades); Soccer Club (this program caters to five age groups: under age 6, under age 8, under age 10 under age 12 and under age 14); Quickstart Tennis (third through seventh grades); Lacrosse (a new program for beginning and experienced players) and Wrestling (the Sussex Central Pee-Wee wresting program is for students in kindergarten through sixth grade).

The course listings also include Fishing 101 for Teens and Adults; Defensive Driving for High School Students; Drivers Education (provides 30 hours of classroom of instruction and seven hours of driving time);Basketball for Adults; Power Four Volleyball; Recreational Volleyball – Beginner Senior Volleyball for Women (over age 45, no experience necessary); and Women 50+ Volleyball for Women; Adult Self-Defense & Karate.

Also offered are Defensive Driving Basic and Refresher (participants qualify for a 10 percent insurance discount, and 15 percent for the refresher, on automobile liability insurance and a three-point credit for three years).

Other classes include: Rubber Stamping Fun; Zumba; Belly Dancing; Slimnastics; Step Aerobics; Low Impact/High Energy Aerobics; Tai Chi Qigong for Radiant Health; West Coast Swing; American Cha Cha; Basic Microsoft Word; Windows for the Terrified; and Internet and E-Mail.

In other IRSD news, Frankford Elementary has now been permanently relocated to the John M. Clayton Building (the “old” Indian River High School building that sits between Dagsboro and Frankford). The school has been renamed as John M. Clayton Elementary.

Maull said the school has been undergoing renovations for almost a year and has a new interior, which he said “looks terrific.”

The Richard Allen School – a special intensive learning center for students with disciplinary issues – formerly located in Georgetown, has been re-located to the former Frankford Elementary School building in Frankford.

That building has been renamed the George Washington Carver Educational Center.

The Richard Allen School will be located in a part of the school that has been renovated. Other parts are still being renovated and, when completed, the building will offer other educational programs, and the Richard Allen School will be one of a number of uses for that building.

IRSD classes for the 2010-2011 school year start Tuesday, Sept. 7.

For more information on the Indian River School District, visit www.irsd.net. To browse the Fall 2010 Adult Ed course offerings and to register for classes, visit wwww.irsd-adulted.com or call (302) 436-1010.