The new committee in charge of reviewing Delaware’s current public education funding formula, known as the Public Education Funding Commission (PEFC), held its first two-day meeting on Wednesday and Thursday.
The PEFC was created this year following an independent report recommending Delaware invest anywhere from $600 million to $1 billion more in education.
The report also recommends the state implement a weighted student funding formula to replace the current antiquated unit system, which allocates funding based on enrollment and does not factor in student need.
The committee spent its first meeting reviewing this report and how the current formula works, tasked with ultimately delivering recommendations by Oct. 1, 2025 so the next governor can implement the changes in their fiscal year 27 budget plan.
They tentatively plan to make a decision at their November meeting on if the current formula should be scrapped entirely or simply reworked.
But several members raised concerns about this timeline, including Sussex County Vocational Technical School District Superintendent Kevin Carson.
“I've been working on this a long time. I'm not comfortable with a 20-hour discussion to say that the final product is this when we're representing a third of the state budget.”
But others expressed the urgency of the situation, including Delaware Charter Schools Network Executive Director Kendall Massett, who pleaded with the committee during public comment to stick to the current timeline.
“We don't need more band-aids. We need a funding system that is equitable and takes into consideration the needs of every child in every school across our state.”
Acting Chair State Rep. Kim Williams (D-Newport) says she will discuss the idea with Chair State Sen. Laura Sturgeon (D-Woodbrook), who was unable to attend, with a decision made during the commission’s October meeting.
