Recognizing that students with more intensive needs require greater support in the classroom, Governor John Carney in 2019 announced he was allocating $60 million over three years in one-time funding to help Delaware’s public schools better support English language learners and low-income students.
With support of the entire Senate Democratic Caucus, Senate Education Committee Chair Laura Sturgeon sponsored Senate Bill 56 two years later to double the annual allocation by Fiscal Year 2025 and make the direct, classroom-based supports provided by the Opportunity Funding program permanent.
The legislation was passed unanimously by both chambers of the Delaware General Assembly and quickly signed into law by Governor Carney.
For some students, Senate Bill 56 is providing additional staff for individualized coaching and mentoring. For others, it means additional Spanish language teachers, books and programs.
Regardless of how districts choose to spend their Opportunity Funding, the grants are successfully closing the achievement gap and better ensuring each individual student gets what they need to succeed.
