Delaware’s funding formula is 70 years old and does not account for the additional needs that students in poverty or English-language learners have in the education system. As a result, Delaware has one of the most inequitable funding systems in the country and students do not receive the type of support they need within the school setting.
Delaware is one of four states that does not provide additional resources for English-language learners and one of 15 states that does not provide additional resources for low-income students as a weighted component of its funding formula.
Delaware’s current funding formula also does not allow for sufficient flexibility and transparency. Delaware’s unit system is prescriptive and does not provide school leaders with the sufficient opportunity to devote their resources to the context of their schools.
The current system makes it nearly impossible to evaluate the impact of Delaware’s education spending as funding does not follow students. A growing coalition of organizations and individuals in Delaware have been calling for the current system to be overhauled.