Delaware’s Public Education Funding Commission continued to weigh a hybrid funding formula that prioritizes marginalized students at its meeting Monday.
The Commission plans to have a new formula in place for the 2027-28 school year, but its members are still ironing out the details.
The hybrid formula under consideration would see public schools prioritize low income, special education and multilingual learner students. If adopted, Delaware’s funding formula would be among the most generous in the nation.
Senior Researcher and Policy Analyst at the Learning Policy Institute Mike Griffith said that might not be enough to adequately meet students’ needs.
“One of the issues, though, right is, as we raise funding for any one group, the way formulas work is that's either going to cost you more or it's going to force you to reduce funding in some other part of your formula,” Griffith said.
But Griffith added the formula is written in pencil, not etched in stone, and can be adjusted to better serve Delaware’s students.
The Commission is working on refining its hybrid model to present to the General Assembly in the next two years.
The new model would see low-income students receive $5,518 per pupil as opposed to the current $988. Multi-lingual learners also currently receive $988 per person, and that would jump to $3,842.
While the model won’t require additional funding to be implemented, State Sen. Laura Sturgeon said the state will eventually reckon with the need for substantial investments in public education.
“The first step is come up with the formula that this group agrees should be the recommended formula to be voted on and established into state law,” Sturgeon said. “And then we can fight for the money to really fund that formula so that every school gets adequate funding and that the formula itself will be based on equity.”
The new funding model, though still in its planning stages, isn’t a foolproof model. Griffith said Delaware’s students, families and educators won’t know if marginalized students are getting what they need until the model is in play.
“We don't know,” Griffith said. “You would have to do a study to gain an understanding of that, and I would recommend you do that. The current formula, there's no guarantee that it meets student needs and standards.”
But that’s a common issue. Griffith added many public school officials and decision makers find their formulas need to be adjust to their state or individual schools. Texas and Tennessee have more than a dozen tiers when discussing funding for students with special needs.
The PEFC’s plan for a new funding formula will not see any school receive less money than the previous school year.
“There might be districts who get more than their fair share of the current pot because they don't have as high a need, and yet they're getting more money,” Sturgeon said. “But that doesn't mean they're overfunded, alright? I'm just giving you my philosophy. I don't think any school in the state of Delaware that's a public school is overfunded. I think they could all do more with more funds, and they could meet the needs of their students better with more funds.”
Sturgeon added that Delaware educators and Commission members will have to work to address schools facing inequity.
The Commission’s next meeting is set for Dec. 8 at 4 p.m.
