School board members, who are in large part responsible for the spending decisions of millions of dollars from school districts, could soon be required to undergo financial training. House Bill 312, sponsored by Rep. Kim Williams, D-Marshallton and chair of the House Education Committee, which requires school board members to undergo training in financial responsibility. Legislators in the Senate Education …
Why Delaware is having the most school referendums in 14 years
The largest number of Delaware school districts in 14 years are holding elections in 2024 to ask their residents to agree to raise taxes for education. State and education leaders cite inflation, population growth, state-mandate raises for education, changes in funding and the COVID-19 pandemic as among reasons why six of the state’s 19 districts are making the case for …
Get to know the state’s education advocacy groups
Delaware pours billions of dollars into education each year, only to receive stressful news like some of the lowest standardized test scores in the country. A number of Delaware nonprofits devoted to improving education in the state want to see more impact for the state in jobs, test scores and another areas. Some have specific focuses such as encouraging more …
Ed. leaders discuss equity ahead of December funding report
Two dozen leaders from state and national educational organizations on Monday got a sneak peek of potential recommendations on how Delaware should fund schools. A report by the American Institutes for Research, being paid for by the Delaware Department of Education and designed to help guide state recommendations on changing the way schools are funded is expected to be released …
Numbers show gaps in test scores, money spent on students
The amount of money spent on Delaware students in 2022 varied widely from school to school and can’t be correlated with results on standard tests. The average per student expenditure for the top 10 performers on the Smarter Balanced Assessment – taken by students in third through eighth grade – is $17,894. It’s $11,489 for the schools that did best …
School test scores dismal again despite new math, reading plans
There was little cheering news Tuesday when Delaware released its 2023 state assessment results. The numbers are still grim, with the majority of students across the board failing to reach proficiency in math and reading. “I can’t imagine anyone looking at these test results and saying they are good enough,” said Julia Keleher, the new executive director of First State …
Ed leaders detail what they consider legislation highlights
With the 2023 General Assembly session ending in June, educational advocates are cheering the legislature’s action on early education, mental health support and transparency relating to school boards. One leader, though, would like to see bills that focus on letting parents know clearly and precisely what’s happening in the classroom, starting with easy to find proficiency ratings. About 60 bills …
Here’s how much COVID money districts, charters have spent
Districts and charters have until Sept. 30, 2024 to spend more than half a billion dollars that was provided for COVID-19 pandemic relief. Delaware received $637,239,246 in the $122 billion federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, or ESSER Funds. Distributed in three separate rounds, ESSER Funds which were allocated across three separate rounds and part of the American …
School board elections: polls open until 8 p.m. Tuesday
Today’s the day: after nine weeks of campaigning, 40 Delawareans will compete for 23 school board seats in Tuesday’s school board elections. “Over the last couple of months, our campaign has had the opportunity to connect with thousands of voters who’ve shared their stories, hopes, and aspiration for Red Clay and its future,” said Jose Matthews, an incumbent board member …
5 school districts drop virtual option for board meetings
Five of Delaware’s 19 school districts no longer livestream their board meetings. Caesar Rodney, Delmar, Laurel, Smyrna and Woodbridge school districts removed the virtual option this years as students and faculty return to an in-person environment with pandemic restrictions diminishing. John Marinucci, the executive director of the Delaware School Boards Association, said the organization pushed for legislation that allowed, but …









