Britney Mumford is the executive director of DelawareKidsCAN, a nonprofit organization that focuses on improving student outcomes.
According to the Nation’s Report Card, released in January, more than any other state in the country, Delaware is failing its most vulnerable students. We have experienced the most learning loss in the last 15 years for economically disadvantaged students — a drop of nearly 20 points. Our outdated, one-size-fits-all school funding system is a key driver of this crisis, yet those with the power to change it remain stubbornly resistant. Delaware students do not deserve, nor can they afford, the apathy of those who want to preserve the status quo for their own convenience.
Unlike nearly every other state, Delaware funds schools through an archaic unit-based funding system that distributes money based on rigid staffing ratios rather than the actual needs of students. Schools receive funding for specific positions — such as teachers, administrators and specialists — rather than direct dollars that can be spent flexibly. This means that schools cannot easily adjust their budgets to hire the personnel and programs that best serve their students. Instead, they are locked into a system that forces a one-size-fits-all approach, ignoring the fact that some students need more resources than others.
Imagine two children sitting down to share a pizza. One child can easily grab a slice, chew and enjoy it. The other child, however, has difficulty chewing and needs his or her slice cut into smaller pieces. But, instead of adjusting how the pizza is served to meet each child’s needs, the rule is that everyone must get his or her pizza in the exact same way — whole slices, no exceptions.
This is how Delaware’s rigid funding system treats students. Some children need extra support — whether it’s tutoring, language assistance or specialized instruction — but the current model refuses to distribute resources based on need. The problem isn’t a lack of resources — it’s a refusal to use them in a way that actually meets students where they are.
A weighted student funding formula would change this by allocating money based on individual student needs. Instead of funding predetermined staffing positions, dollars would follow students, with additional funding attached to those who require extra support — such as low-income students, multilanguage learners and students with disabilities. This model has been implemented in states like Massachusetts and California, where achievement gaps have narrowed, as funding finally aligns with student needs. Delaware has remained stagnant. If we want better results, we must change the way we invest in our kids.
There’s a reason why states aren’t moving toward Delaware’s outdated model. The national trend over the last two decades has been shifting away from unit-based funding, not toward it. States like Connecticut, Tennessee and New Jersey have reformed their funding models to better reflect student needs. Yet Delaware continues to cling to a system that no other state is actively adopting. If unit-based funding worked, wouldn’t we see other states embracing it? Instead, states across the country are abandoning this rigid model in favor of more flexible, student-centered funding. That should tell us something.
Opponents of reform argue that the current system is “understood” and that change would be too complex. Others are simply comfortable with what we have, indifferent to the reality that our funding model prevents schools from making decisions at the level closest to the students. Right now, if a principal knows their students need more mental health counselors, bilingual staff or targeted academic interventions, they can’t simply reallocate funding to make those hires. Instead, they must navigate a rigid, bureaucratic system that limits innovation and forces schools to fit into outdated funding molds.
The cost of this complacency is borne by the students who are left without the resources and opportunities they need to thrive. It’s not that we lack the resources — it’s that we refuse to allocate them in a way that gives schools the autonomy to respond to the needs of their students.
Delaware has a choice: Continue to ignore the crisis or do what dozens of other states have done — implement a fair, student-centered funding system that ensures that resources reach those who need them most. The status quo is not just failing our kids — it is actively harming them. If we are serious about closing achievement gaps and providing every child with a fair shot, we must demand a funding system that puts students first.
It’s time for the First State to stop coming in last.
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