The Adult Basic Education Force releases its final report on recommendations to increase funding and support for adult basic education (ABE) in the First State.
Adult Basic Education Task Force Co-Chair State Sen. Darius Brown (D-Wilmington) says Gov. John Carney is recommending a $300,000 increase in ABE funds, which will get the program back to its 2017 funding level.
Brown says this money includes a cost-of-living adjustment, as well as provides one-time funding to reduce the number of adult education students on the waiting list.
Department of Education Director of Adult and Prison Education Resources Maureen Wheelan says there are over 800 adults on ABE program waiting lists, 95% of which are multi-language learners.
Sussex Tech Director of Adult Education Kelly Whaley says the increased funding will help expand English proficiency programs, which are currently all full.
“Right now we have 43 sections of adult basic education and English as a Second Language classes that meet twice a week throughout Sussex County, so we would like to increase those offerings," Whaley says.
She says this year there are 1,029 students enrolled in their English as a Second Language (ESL) program and 317 adult basic education students in GED programs, a 100% and 69% respective increase from last year.
According to the 2022 Delaware's English Learner's Strategic Plan, English leaner students have increased 433% over the past 25 years, and Whaley says Sussex County alone has seen a 597% in the same time frame.
“We’re talking about opening a new site at North Georgetown Elementary for ESL, so we’re talking about adding at least 10 new classes once we get increased funding," she adds.
Whaley notes adult basic education is particularly necessary in Sussex County, which holds the four towns with the highest percentage of residents without a diploma in Delaware.
"We all agree that education is key to rising out of poverty, and our goal at Sussex Technical Education is to help our students learn not only academic skills... but also additional literacy skills, English as a Second Language, civics and workforce training," she says.
Of Sussex Tech's 49 GED earners last year, 89% of them went on to either college, post-secondary training, the military or a higher paying job.
The recommended increase would bring ABE funding across the state to around $950,000 for fiscal year 25.
Additional recommendations from the task force include:
- Aligning ABE educator salaries with recent public school salary increases.
- Exploring financial support for ABE students.
- Improving the link between ABE and other public education programs.
- Strengthening governance and oversight of ABE programs.
- Engaging employers to better tailor ABE programs to meet their needs.
- Making sure ABE programs are considered in future decision making on education issues.
