Delaware
Delaware Senate calls for commission on education funding – Bay to Bay News
DOVER — The Delaware Senate voted Tuesday to create a committee to review how public schools are funded.
The current formula used in the First State is more than 70 years old and focuses on school censuses and not what each student needs, according to the sponsor of Senate Concurrent Resolution 201, Sen. Laura Sturgeon, D-Woodbrook.
Her measure would develop a group of legislators, educators, community leaders and other advocates to research how educational facilities receive funding and make recommendations. It would be called the “Public Education Funding Commission.”
Sen. Sturgeon, also the chair of the Senate Education Committee, hopes the initiative will drive reform.
“In my 25 years as a public school teacher, I saw firsthand how the incredibly complex and inequitable system that Delaware uses to fund public education is failing to meet the needs of students and contributing to widespread burnout among educators,” she said.
“Over the last five years, the courts, independent researchers and community members have all weighed in and consistently confirmed what our public educators have been telling us for decades,” she continued. “The time has come for us to stop kicking this can down the road and start working on real systemic reforms that will improve Delaware’s schools.
“The Public Education Funding Commission will do that by bringing advocates and experts together to develop a multiyear plan that the legislature and Delaware’s next governor can follow to bring about the transformative changes that we all agree will be needed in the years ahead.”
The current funding formula is based on enrollment and on how much money is needed to provide education to a “unit” made up of a set number of students, with little regard to the level of need among the children who make up that population.
The state and federal governments provide about 70% of the funding, while the rest is generated through district-level property taxes set by voters during referendums and collected by the counties.
SCR 201 stems from legal action over the last six years. In 2018, the Delaware NAACP, Delawareans for Educational Opportunity and others filed a lawsuit arguing that, by ignoring individual student need and local funding capacity, the state’s public school fiscal system is unfair to the disadvantaged and violates the state constitution.
In 2020, Carney administration officials settled the lawsuit, by agreeing to permanently allocate additional state funding based on the number of low-income and multilingual learners at a given school and expand special education funding in kindergarten through third grade, among other changes.
Part of the settlement created an independent assessment of the education funding system, which was completed in 2023. That review, according to Sen. Sturgeon, declared that the settlement did not go far enough to address students’ needs.
Therefore, the proposed Public Education Funding Commission would be composed of 31 members, including legislators, cabinet secretaries, parents, educators, principals, district administrators and advocates.
If now passed by the House of Representatives, SCR 201 would require the commission to hold its first meeting no later than Oct. 1 and issue its first set of recommendations within a year, so they could be considered in the governor’s recommended budget for fiscal year 2027.
“During the last several years, we have passed numerous measures and have committed meaningful investments to support students of all ages and abilities. While these have been critical steps, the fundamental issue lies in how we fund public education in our state,” said the resolution’s co-sponsor, Rep. Kim Williams, D-Newport, who also co-chairs the Joint Finance Committee.
“The Public Education Funding Commission will help us create a more equitable system that truly meets the needs of all students and educators. I commend Sen. Sturgeon and all the stakeholders for working on this issue and look forward to the work of the commission.”
The resolution is now awaiting consideration in the House.
For many people in Delaware, the UDairy Creamery is a favorite spot for a scoop of ice cream.
Whether customers are ordering guava sherbet, butter pecan or one of the creamery’s many other flavors, the University of Delaware shop has built a loyal following over the past 15 years.
But almost as soon as the creamery opened on the university’s South Campus, it outgrew its space.
“It was always a little too small and a little too tough to come in and leave at the same time,” said Jen Rodammer of the UDairy Creamery.
Connected to the University of Delaware’s College of Agriculture, the creamery offers products that go beyond ice cream. Everything starts with the university’s agricultural programs.
“We sell honey from our apiary, we sell wool blankets for our sheep, we have Angus beef cuts available too, so we are really the connector between the college and everything we do here,” Rodammer said.
For now, customers can visit a temporary pop-up version of the creamery inside the ice rink next door while construction continues on the main building.
The renovation project, which has closed the creamery’s longtime home and impacted traffic near Townsend Hall, is designed to create a larger and more accessible space. University officials say visitors can expect quicker service, additional seating and more room to enjoy their ice cream.
“So our patio is being completely redone. There’s gonna be benches, chairs, tables and just a lot more friendly and welcoming,” Rodammer said. “It’s not just gonna be the creamery. It’s botanical gardens also.”
By late August, one of the biggest changes will be a stronger connection between the creamery and the University of Delaware’s botanical garden trails, which are free and open to the public. Visitors will be able to walk the trails and see the cows that help produce the milk used in the creamery’s ice cream.
The expansion comes after years of growth for a business that Rodammer said was originally expected to be much smaller.
“I don’t think they thought it was gonna be more than a mom and pop shop. And it really changed quickly. We’ve become a community staple, which is really exciting for us,” she said.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC Philadelphia. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication.
Claiming lottery in Delaware
18 states have laws that allow national lottery prize jackpot winners to remain anonymous, but is Delaware among them?
The Delaware Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Wednesday, June 3, 2026 results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from June 3 drawing
14-16-38-55-64, Powerball: 12, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Play 3 numbers from June 3 drawing
Day: 5-0-5
Night: 5-6-4
Check Play 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Play 4 numbers from June 3 drawing
Day: 4-8-0-2
Night: 6-7-3-9
Check Play 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Multi-Win Lotto numbers from June 3 drawing
03-07-10-27-28-32
Check Multi-Win Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from June 3 drawing
02-05-19-22-24, Star Ball: 06, ASB: 04
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Play 5 numbers from June 3 drawing
Day: 9-0-2-7-1
Night: 4-8-0-0-3
Check Play 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
- Sign the Ticket: Establish legal ownership by signing the back of your ticket with an ink pen.
- Prizes up to $599: Claim at any Delaware Lottery Retailer, in person at the Delaware Lottery Office, or mail your signed ticket and claim form; print your name/address on the ticket’s back and keep a copy/photo for records. By mail, send original tickets and documentation to: Delaware Lottery, 1575 McKee Road, Suite 102, Dover, DE 19904.
- Prizes up to $2,500: Claim in person at Delaware Lottery Retailer Claim Centers throughout Kent, Sussex and New Castle Counties.
- Prizes of $5,001 or more: Claim in person at the Delaware Lottery Office (business days 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) with a photo ID and Social Security card.
- For all prize claims, directions to the Delaware Lottery Office are available online or via mapquest.com for a map.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Delaware Lottery.
Can I claim a jackpot prize anonymously in Delaware?
Fortunately for First State residents, the Delaware Lottery allows winners remain anonymous. Unlike many other states that require a prize be over a certain jackpot, Delawareans can remain anonymous no matter how much, or how little, they win.
How long do I have to claim my prize in Delaware?
Tickets are valid for up to one year past the drawing date for drawing game prizes or within one year of the announced end of sales for Instant Games, according to delottery.com.
When are the Delaware Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11:00 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday.
- Play 3, 4: Daily at 1:58 p.m. and 7:57 p.m., except Sunday afternoon.
- Multi-Win Lotto: 7:57 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: Daily at 10:38 p.m.
- Lotto America: 11:00 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Delaware Online digital operations manager. You can send feedback using this form.
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