Bucher leaves Milford school board, points to finances, safety and parent trust

Pictured: Scott Fitzgerlad, President of the School Board and Superintendent Travis Moorman along with honoree Matt Bucher.

Retiring board member Matt Bucher used his final meeting to highlight Milford’s progress as he runs for the 33rd District House seat.

By George Rotsch, Contributing Journalist, Delaware LIVE

MILFORD — Matt Bucher used his final meeting as a member of the Milford School Board to look back on what he described as a period of stronger finances, improved school safety, better discipline and restored trust with parents.

Bucher, who delivered remarks at the board’s June 15 meeting, is leaving the board as he runs as a Republican for Delaware’s 33rd District House seat.

“What strikes me most is how far this district has come,” Bucher said. “Let me say it plainly: our financial footing has never been stronger.”

Bucher said Milford’s reserves are higher than they have ever been and argued the district may now be “one of the most secure public school districts in the state.”

“That financial security is what lets us weather whatever comes next,” he said.

Bucher also pointed to changes in school discipline as one of the most visible areas of improvement during his time on the board. He said that when he first joined the board, he regularly heard from parents about fights and discipline issues, including videos circulating on social media.

“Today I can go weeks without a single call about discipline,” Bucher said. “That isn’t luck — it’s the work of this board, our administrators, and our teachers.”

Safety, discipline cited as priorities

Bucher said the board helped organize the district’s first district-level safety management leadership and supported coverage at every school through constables working with school resource officers.

“Our first duty is to keep these kids safe,” he said.

He also credited the board with giving parents more transparency and a stronger voice in curriculum decisions. Bucher specifically cited the district’s policy on curriculum development, review and adherence, saying it helped restore parent trust and the perception of fairness in the classroom.

Bucher said the district also has assembled a strong leadership team after “more than a few struggles,” and said that team is helping move academic recovery forward.

He also highlighted the district’s work on the new middle school, saying the project came in on time and under budget. Bucher said the board kept faith with taxpayers by holding the line on taxes and cutting tax rates repeatedly over the last four years.

“None of this was any one person’s doing,” Bucher said. “Every bit of it was a collaboration between this board, our staff, and our community. Not bad. Not bad at all.”

Bucher points to work beyond board seat

Bucher said some of the work he is proudest of did not require elected office.

He said he helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars through personal appeals for renovations to project-adjacent areas of the district building. He also pointed to his advocacy on education legislation, saying he worked with others to oppose bills he believed would weaken schools and to help lawmakers craft policies that would support local districts.

Bucher also founded the Buccaneer Educational Foundation, which he described as Milford’s first charitable educational nonprofit. He said the foundation raised more than $100,000 in its first full year.

“For me, serving on this board was always just volunteering by another name,” Bucher said.

He said public schools remain central to community life, noting that most children are educated in local schools.

“These schools are the anchors of our communities,” Bucher said. “These kids will run this country one day, in every meaningful way, and we owe them the very best start we can give them.”

Bucher said he is entering his 20th year of volunteer service to the district and its students.

“The nature of that service may change,” Bucher said. “But let me assure you of one thing: I’m not going anywhere.”