Delaware School Funding Overhaul: What It Means for Seniors & Grandchildren

Hello everyone, your trusted voice here at DelBlogger.com. Today, I want to bring a newspaper article to your attention that, at first glance, might seem a bit removed from our daily lives. It’s about school funding in Delaware, specifically the Public Education Funding Commission’s efforts to rework how education dollars are distributed. You might be thinking, “What does this have to do with me, as someone over 55?” Well, a great deal, actually, and I believe this is incredibly important for all of us.

For many of us, our children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren are currently navigating Delaware’s public education system. The quality of their education directly impacts their future, and by extension, the future of our communities and our state. This article highlights a proposed “Delaware hybrid” funding model that aims to allocate dollars based on student needs, potentially providing a significant boost to schools with a large number of low-income students, like EastSide Charter School. This isn’t just about numbers; it’s about giving every child in Delaware a fair shot at a quality education, regardless of their background. A well-educated populace contributes to a stronger economy, a more engaged citizenry, and a vibrant community – all things that benefit us, even in our later years.

Furthermore, we, as a generation, have a vested interest in the long-term health and prosperity of Delaware. Our property values, our local services, and the overall quality of life in our neighborhoods are all influenced by the strength of our public institutions, including our schools. Investing in education now is an investment in the future of our state, ensuring that Delaware remains a desirable place to live for generations to come. While the Commission hasn’t voted yet, keeping an eye on these developments means we can understand how our tax dollars are being utilized to shape the future of our state and the opportunities available to the younger generations who will eventually be leading it.

Below is a brief summary of the article, however you can read more by clicking this link

School funding commission reworks proposal for education dollars

By Julia Merola

Plans to reform Delaware’s archaic public education funding system are moving forward – and schools with large numbers of low-income students, such as EastSide Charter School in Wilmington, may benefit the most.

On May 5, the state’s Public Education Funding Commission, which is in charge of recommending how dollars are distributed to Delaware schools, heard a presentation for a school funding model that would increase the state’s contribution to EastSide Charter by $1.2 million, or a 27% jump.

The chair of the Public Education Funding Commission, State Sen. Laura Sturgeon (D-Brandywine Hundred), called the proposal a “Delaware hybrid” funding model – indicating that it incorporated the state’s traditional framework of distributing money on a per-student basis, with one that allocates dollars based on student needs.

During a late-April meeting, Sturgeon said she hoped the members would vote to recommend a school funding proposal by the next week. But, when Sturgeon’s deadline came during the May 5 meeting, no vote occurred.