Settlement agreement in Chancery Court case would make Opportunity Funding permanent and expand funding for high-needs schools

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney on Monday announced an agreement with Delawareans for Educational Opportunity and the Delaware NAACP to make significant new investments in Delaware public schools and dedicate additional funding for Delaware’s most disadvantaged students to help close achievement gaps.

The settlement agreement announced on Monday suspends litigation currently pending in Delaware’s Court of Chancery and creates a path forward to provide substantial additional support for Delaware schools, high-needs students and educators.

The agreement announced on Monday will:

• More than double funding for Opportunity Funding to $60 million annually by Fiscal Year 2025, and make the weighted funding program permanent. Funding will increase automatically with enrollment beyond 2025.
• Double funding for the Early Childhood Assistance Program (ECAP) to expand access to affordable early education.
• Provide full funding for K-3 basic special education, consistent with grades 4-12.
• Provide additional funding for teacher recruitment and retention in high-needs schools.

Opportunity Funding provides targeted funding – for the first time in Delaware’s history – for low-income students and English learners statewide. Members of the Delaware General Assembly must approve terms the agreement as part of the regular budget and legislative process.

“It’s important to make clear that both parties viewed this case and these settlement negotiations as an opportunity to make real progress for Delaware’s children,” said Governor Carney. “This is a path forward to support our most disadvantaged students and families – and one that will help close the persistent achievement gap in our schools.

“But our work is just getting started,” said Governor Carney. “The General Assembly will need to consider these changes as part of its regular budget process in Dover. I look forward to discussions with legislators. Delaware’s General Assembly has supported increased investments in public education over the last four years and I believe legislators of both parties will see the merit in this proposal.”

“Every student – regardless of zip code or background – deserves a high-quality public education. And yet, Delaware’s current education funding formula fails to account for the simple fact that in order to succeed, children with the greatest needs require the most support,” said Senator Elizabeth Lockman. “That is the reform we are all working towards and the settlement announced today marks a potential step forward in our efforts to create a funding formula that is truly equitable for all students. I’m thankful to have the opportunity to fully discuss the details of the proposal with my colleagues, parents, educators and taxpayers in the weeks ahead.”

“As a mother of two children who were identified very early as developmentally delayed, I know firsthand how important it is to have teachers in place to provide quality services,” said Representative Kim Williams, a longtime advocate for K-3 special education funding. “Research has proven that early identification and intervention are critical to a child’s overall success. By the time a child reaches third grade, they should be transitioning from learning to read to reading to learn. If we are committed to fundamentally improving the quality of education in our state, then we must make a commitment early on.”

“In 2015, while serving as Chair of the Wilmington Education Advisory Committee, WEAC received input from thousands of Delawareans up and down the state – parents, lawmakers, educators, community partners, politicians alike,” said Dr. Tony Allen, President of Delaware State University. “That input continued when WEAC morphed into the Commission. At that time, not one person said that the last 60 years of K12 education for students from economically distressed communities was sustainable,  appropriate, or fair. The settlement reached today proves the point and represents a principled commitment to what I believe is a fundamental American right — every child’s access to a quality education.  In the spirit of the indomitable Louis L. Redding, Chancellor Collins Seitz, and many more, may we forever be compelled to a higher purpose and greater sense of responsibility for our fellow citizens – particularly the most vulnerable among us.”

“This agreement will continue our work to support the Delaware students and educators who need our help the most,” said Dr. Susan Bunting, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Education. “Through our Opportunity Funding program, low-income students and young English learners already are receiving additional support, and that work will expand statewide. We will provide new services for young students with special needs, and early childhood education. Our team at the Department of Education looks forward to working with educators to make a real difference for Delaware children with these additional resources.”

“For years, our members have been advocating for the resources needed to meet the needs their of English Learners, low-income, and k-3 basic special education students,” said Stephanie Ingram, President of the Delaware State Education Association. “This sustainable funding will do just that and continue to supply educators with the resources they need. We are hopeful that the General Assembly will make this a permanent part of our funding, and address the structural short comings in education funding in Delaware.”

“On behalf of the Delaware Hispanic Commission and the many English Learners and their families, we want to thank Governor Carney and Secretary Bunting for their leadership in bringing the much-needed permanent funding for children who are at risk in Delaware,” said Javier Torrijos, chair of the Delaware Hispanic Commission. “Children of poverty and English learners need the resources to keep pace with their peers. School districts will be able to look at long-term programs and provide the resources to meet these students’ needs.  We are extremely grateful and after many years of advocacy we see this as a major victory for all Delawareans and more importantly the future of our children and this great state.”

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Weighted funding program will target resources for low-income students, English learners

DOVER, Del. – Governor John Carney, Delaware Education Secretary Susan Bunting, and education advocates on Tuesday announced a three-year, $60 million Opportunity Funding initiative to target resources toward Delaware’s most disadvantaged students.

This program, for the first time in Delaware, will provide weighted funding for low-income and English learner students in schools across Delaware. Every Delaware school district and charter will receive a per-pupil appropriation for each English learner and low-income student they educate. Over the next three years, the Delaware Department of Education will work with district, charter and school leaders, community representatives, parents and educators to evaluate how districts and charters are using the funding, and to measure progress of these students.

“Delaware is one of only a handful of states that does not target additional resources for low-income and English learner students – students who we know need additional resources to reach their fullest potential. This Opportunity Funding initiative will change that,” said Governor Carney. “Despite the efforts of committed educators and school leaders, many of these students are not getting the education they deserve. If we expect all Delaware children to have access to a world-class education, this is an issue that we can’t afford to ignore. Every child, regardless of their background, can learn and deserves every opportunity to succeed.”

The program initially will be funded with a mix of ongoing and one-time funding in Governor Carney’s Fiscal Year 2020 budget proposal. The $20 million annually could be used by districts and charters to fund additional reading and math specialists, counselors, trauma-informed training, after-school programming and smaller class sizes, among other potential uses. Spending plans must be approved by the Department of Education, and spending authorized under the initiative must directly benefit low-income and English learner students.

The Department of Education will work with an independent entity to evaluate results under the new initiative, and a separate commission of community leaders, parents and educators will help evaluate the program’s success and spotlight best practices to achieve results for these students.

“As a former superintendent, I can tell you how valued this extra funding will be by our schools. Our English learners and our students from low-income families need more support,” said Secretary Bunting. “We long have been one of only a handful of states that doesn’t give additional funding for these students. Thank you to Governor Carney for making sure that changes today.”

“Today, Governor John Carney took a significant step toward improving how we fund the Delaware public-school students who face the highest hurdles to success in front of them. The Governor’s three-year, $60 million proposal to add support statewide for English learners and low-income students is a signal to all that hoping and waiting for change is not a way forward for our children, and it hasn’t been for nearly three generations,” said Tony Allen, Chairman of the Wilmington Education Improvement Commission and Executive Vice President at Delaware State University. “The core of the Wilmington Education Improvement Commission’s recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly was a dramatic shift in the current formula for funding schools to one that was equitable, put the resources where the need was greatest and flexible enough to make changes when appropriate. Many challenged this recommendation, but after input from thousands of Delawareans, including decision-makers at every level and parents working to ensure their children receive the best education possible – no one still maintains that the current system is sustainable, appropriate or fair. Governor Carney has heard those voices too, and while this is just the beginning, it is a bold act and in my estimation, desperately needed.”

“All good public policy starts with an objective look at the facts, and the fact is that many of our students who need the most help have, in one way or another, received the least for far too long,” said Senator Elizabeth Lockman. “Today’s announcement is a major step toward fixing that imbalance. Over the next three years, we have a chance to learn what works in order to establish the kind of broad equity and equal opportunity that will guide future investments in education and put Delaware families of all backgrounds ahead for generations to come.”

“A solid education serves as a foundation for children, inspiring and motivating them to reach their full potential. Every child deserves that goal. This education initiative puts dollars exactly where the school districts need them – into the classrooms – and will provide direct assistance and support to high-needs students,” said Representative Nnamdi Chukwuocha. “Thank you Governor Carney for proposing this robust plan, and working to close longstanding education gaps that disadvantaged students disproportionately face.”

“We know that children who are identified as low income or those who don’t speak English as their first language are more likely to have experienced trauma in their young lives or face unique challenges that need special attention from their educators,” said Stephanie Ingram, President of the Delaware State Education Association. “They need time with a teacher or a specialist to help navigate these challenges. And, we finally have a governor who is willing to acknowledge and fund this.”

“Governor John Carney and our elected officials have taken an important and crucial step today to provide direct state funding to English learner and low income students,” said Javier Torrijos, chair of the Delaware Hispanic Commission and the Governor’s Advisory Council on English Learners. “The Governor and Secretary of Education Susan Bunting are committed to equitable education for all its students and we are extremely grateful for their leadership. The Hispanic Commission has been advocating for equity funding for low-income and specifically English learners. This will provide the resources needed to help bridge the gap in education that for so long has been desperately needed. We must continue to look for ways to sustain the funding and effectively use the dollars to provide a quality education to this particular undeserved student population.”

“I’m excited about the funding opportunity that is being proposed by Governor Carney for our English Language Learners and students in poverty. This additional funding is one of the top priorities for the Superintendents this year and I am grateful to the Governor for advocating for our students,” said Heath Chasanov, Superintendent of the Woodbridge School District. “Additionally, I appreciate the flexibility in program design that is being offered with this funding. I believe that allowing districts to make the decisions that best meet the needs of their students, and the communities we serve, will lead to greater success for our students.”

“While Delaware is a small state, each school district still faces unique challenges in meeting the needs of their student population,” said Kevin Fitzgerald, Superintendent of the Caesar Rodney School District. “What students may need in Wilmington may differ from the needs of those in Dover or in Georgetown. The funding opportunity that Governor Carney has proposed recognizes those differences and will provide the resources needed.”

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