February 25, 2026

Governor unveils recommended budget, education investments

Governor Matt Meyer recently presented details and highlights from his recommended budget for Fiscal Year 2027. At the core of the Governor’s proposal is a commitment to making life more affordable for Delawareans, with targeted investments in education, housing, healthcare, and economic development.

Delaware continues to face a literacy crisis, with only 38% of third graders reading on grade level. The Governor’s proposal takes meaningful steps to address that challenge by investing $25.3 million in Purchase of Care to expand access to early education, providing pay increases for state employees to keep compensation competitive, and implementing Year 3 recommendations from the Public Education Compensation Commission to raise educator salaries and strengthen recruitment and retention efforts. 

The proposal also allocates $8 million to the Literacy Emergency Fund and revamps the “Your Voice, Your Choice” program in partnership with Donors Choose, including $3 million for teacher-driven projects.

“Government is supposed to make life easier for people, and that’s exactly what our budget does, with smart investments in our children, housing, healthcare, and workforce,” Governor Meyer said. “We’re proud to put forth a balanced budget that lays the groundwork for a stronger, more affordable, and more accountable Delaware, without sacrificing our values or cutting critical services.”

To maintain long-term sustainability, Governor Meyer’s budget also includes $168.7 million in targeted reductions, reprogramming, and one-time spending adjustments, along with more than $65 million in statewide savings achieved through operational efficiencies and responsible budgeting.

Community joins education conversation at local town hall

Delaware Education Secretary Cindy Marten was pleased to join the Education Town Hall this month hosted by State Representatives Kim Williams and Mike Smith.

The town hall brought together state and local education leaders for an open and thoughtful discussion with each other and the community about the future of public education in Delaware. In addition to Secretary Marten, panelists included Red Clay Consolidated School District Superintendent Dorrell Green, former Delaware Attorney General Matt Denn, and Red Clay School Board President Vic Leonard. School board members from across the state attended, including members of the State Board of Education.

The conversation covered a wide range of topics: the Redding Consortium for Educational Equity, Delaware’s public education funding formula, early literacy initiatives, state assessment policy, the McKean Innovation Center, school cell phone legislation, school climate, educator recruitment and retention, and much more.

Secretary Marten appreciated the honest dialogue with local leaders, educators, and families. The event reflects a shared commitment to confronting Delaware’s education challenges with urgency, strengthening family and community partnerships, and advancing a clear, measurable path forward for students statewide.

Video: Students compete in state poetry contest

Delaware’s 2026 Poetry Out Loud (POL) state finals were held this month in Smyrna, where 10 students from across the state competed for the opportunity to represent the First State at the national finals in Washington, D.C. this spring.

Coordinated in Delaware by the Delaware Division of the Arts, Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program for high school students that promotes the study of great poetry through free classroom resources and a dynamic recitation competition. As Delaware works to strengthen literacy statewide, arts programs like Poetry Out Loud continue to help build student confidence, critical thinking, communication, and analytical skills that support long-term academic success. 

In recognition of the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary, this year’s competition featured selections from American poets and works that reflect the country’s resilience, creativity, innovation, and rich cultural and historical legacy.

Poetry Out Loud follows a pyramid-style competition structure beginning in individual classrooms. Winners advance to school-level contests, then to regional and state competitions, and ultimately to the national finals in Washington, D.C. Each year, more than 100,000 students nationwide participate in the program.

Earlier this month, Governor Matt Meyer announced historic investments to ensure every Delaware family has access to affordable, high-quality early programs and services. He has empowered the Lt. Governor to lead this change.

In both his State of the State Address and FY 2027 Recommended Budget Presentation, Governor Meyer outlined a path forward to invest $50 million state and federal dollars towards Delaware’s early childhood care and education (ECCE) system.

A portion of these crucial investments come from the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five Systems-Building Grant (PDG B-5 Grant), a $11.3 million federal grant, awarded to Delaware to strengthen the state’s ECCE system through unified governance, reliable financing, and data structures to create a more user-friendly experience for families and more sustainable statewide support for child care programs.

The implementation of the PDG B-5 Grant will be a partnership between the Office of Lt. Governor Kyle Evans Gay, the Delaware Department of Education (DDOE), the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), and the Delaware Department of Children, Youth and their Families (DSCYF).

“Delaware children and families deserve every opportunity to thrive, and that doesn’t happen without a strong early childhood education system. With these historic investments we are building a modern, integrated foundation for Delaware’s future,” said Governor Matt Meyer. “Lt. Governor Kyle Evans Gay understands that it’s past time we get to work. We have to move away from a fragmented approach and toward a cohesive system where every dollar is spent effectively to bring down child care costs for families and improve outcomes for our youngest learners.”

The work also helps address Delaware's literacy crisis by expanding access to high-quality early learning and strengthening birth-to-five systems. By aligning agencies, modernizing data infrastructure, and investing in sustainable supports, Delaware is building a stronger foundation so more children can enter kindergarten ready to learn.

“For too long, families and child care professionals have had to navigate fragmented systems,” Secretary of Education Cindy Marten said. “These transformative investments allow us to build strong, connected child care hubs that support the workforce and referral networks that make it easier for parents to find high-quality care and services. This work represents a significant step forward in making Delaware the best state to raise a child.”

MOT Charter student wins 2026 CTE Month poster contest

The Delaware Advisory Council on Career and Technical Education (DACCTE) has announced Maya Zhao, a student at MOT Charter High School, as the winner of the 2026 Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month Poster Contest. 

Each February, Delaware celebrates CTE Month to highlight how career and technical education prepares students for success in college, career, and life. To mark the occasion, DACCTE and partners from the Delaware Department of Labor and the Delaware Department of Education host an annual poster contest inviting students to creatively showcase the impact of CTE on their futures and on Delaware’s economy.

Zhao’s winning design, themed “Turn Your Passion into a Profession,” captures the spirit of CTE by illustrating how students can transform their interests into meaningful careers. The artwork features symbols representing diverse career pathways, from skilled trades and public safety to creative arts and advanced manufacturing, reflecting the broad opportunities available through Delaware’s CTE programs.

The annual contest celebrates student creativity while reinforcing the importance of workforce-aligned learning. Top winners also included additional students from MOT Charter as well as Cape Henlopen High School. 

CTE plays a critical role in Delaware schools, offering hands-on experiences, industry certifications, dual enrollment opportunities, and real-world connections that help students graduate ready for high-demand careers. Nearly 50,000 middle and high school students participate in CTE programs statewide.

This work also connects to Delaware’s broader education goals. Strong career pathways depend on strong foundational skills — including reading, writing, communication, and problem-solving. As the state confronts its literacy challenge, CTE reinforces why early literacy matters: students must be able to read texts, analyze information, and communicate clearly to succeed in advanced coursework, earn industry credentials, and thrive in the workforce. By strengthening literacy from the earliest grades through high school pathways, Delaware is ensuring students are prepared not just to graduate, but to compete and contribute in a dynamic economy.

For more information about Delaware CTE, visit Delaware Pathways and Career and Technical Education. 

Delaware Department of Education I education.delaware.gov