The Delaware General Assembly creates a Public Education Funding Commission.
The 31 member commission is tasked with reevaluating Delaware’s education funding structure.
Bill sponsor Sen. Laura Sturgeon says changing the system has been a long-time coming.
“We’ve done a lot of great things for education but we have never tackled the funding system," Sturgeon says. "And this will be the first time we seriously have these conversations in a way that I think will ultimately lead to substantive change for the better.”
It’s a response to a recent independent assessment that recommends the state amp up its education funding by up to $1 billion while distributing more resources according to student needs and implementing a weighted student funding formula.
“Many people believe that part of the reason we’re not delivering the outcomes, part of it is because we are not investing enough, but part of it is because our funding system, the way we allocate dollars, is not conducive to resourcing the most underserved communities," Sturgeon says.
She says the commission will meet for the first time on or before October 1 – appointments will take place over the next few months and will consist of legislators, parents, educators, and other key education advocates.
The commission is charged with issuing its first recommendations by October 1, 2025, in time to be considered for the next governor’s first budget proposal.
