Kathleen Rutherford is a government relations and advocacy professional with experience in lobbying, public policy and strategic communications in Delaware and Washington, D.C.
Delaware will spend $2.52 billion in state taxpayer funds on public education in fiscal 2027 — 36% of the state’s entire nearly $7 billion operating budget. Education is the largest category of state spending, and the state covers roughly 70% of school operating expenses. The state’s fiscal 2027 operating budget puts the scale of that investment into perspective.
With an investment that significant, parents, taxpayers, teachers and, most importantly, students deserve to know: Are we getting results?
Right now, the numbers tell us we can do better.
Delaware’s latest state assessment results showed third grade reading proficiency increasing from 39% to 40% — just a one-point improvement. With Delaware’s goal set at 53% by 2028, the state remains 13 percentage points away.
That means that 6 out of 10 Delaware third graders are still not reading proficiently.
This isn’t simply another education statistic. Early literacy provides the foundation students need, as coursework becomes increasingly complex.
The question Delaware should be asking is not simply, “How much more should we spend?”
It should be: “Are we investing in strategies that have demonstrated results?”
Look at what is working
Delaware doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel. Other states offer lessons worth examining — and Mississippi has become one of the most closely watched examples in the country.
Mississippi has pursued a comprehensive literacy strategy centered on evidence-based reading instruction, early identification of struggling readers, targeted intervention, teacher training and literacy coaching.
The results have attracted national attention and prompted other states to look at elements of Mississippi’s approach when developing their own literacy reforms.
Delaware’s own 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress results underscore why examining successful approaches elsewhere matters. Only 26% of Delaware fourth graders scored at or above NAEP’s proficient level in reading.
The lesson isn’t that Delaware should automatically copy every policy adopted somewhere else.
It is much simpler: Find what works. Invest in it. Measure the results.
That is responsible investment.
Accountability must mean something
Delaware education leaders are also putting increased emphasis on data and measurable results.
The Delaware School Success Framework measures areas like academic achievement, academic progress and student growth, school quality and student success, graduation rates and multilingual learner progress.
Those reports should be more than numbers posted on a government website.
They should be tools for accountability.
Where are students improving? Where are they falling behind? Which schools and programs are producing strong outcomes? Which investments are failing to deliver?
When taxpayers are investing $2.52 billion, they should be able to see the connection between education spending and student outcomes.
Give families more opportunity
Accountability should also include empowering parents.
Delaware has an opportunity to participate in the new federal scholarship tax credit program. Beginning in 2027, individual taxpayers can receive a federal tax credit of up to $1,700 for qualifying cash contributions to organizations that provide scholarships for elementary and secondary education expenses.
Thirty states have elected to participate in the program for 2027, as of July 24. Delaware can expand educational opportunities for families without creating another state-funded education program.
Why shouldn’t Delaware families have that opportunity?
Education policy should not be about protecting one particular system. It should be about helping children access the education and resources they need to succeed.
More choices mean more opportunities for students — while encouraging every part of Delaware’s education system to demonstrate results.
Put results at the center
Delaware’s education debate too often becomes a choice between spending more money or spending less.
That misses the point.
The real question is whether Delaware is spending wisely.
A one-point increase in third grade reading proficiency is better than moving backward, but it is nowhere near enough. We can acknowledge progress without lowering expectations.
Delaware can study states that are getting better results. We can invest in evidence-based literacy strategies. We can expand opportunities for families. We can demand transparent reporting and hold programs accountable for outcomes.
And, when the data shows that something isn’t working, we should have the courage to change it.
Delaware taxpayers are making a $2.52 billion investment in public education this year.
Our students deserve more than good intentions and bigger budgets.
They deserve an education system that invests in what works — and measures the results.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
