Delaware
Delaware unlikely to overhaul school funding formula this year
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This investigative report was supported by a statehouse coverage grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Many education advocates cheered the release of recommendations from a blockbuster report last year showing Delaware was underfunding high-needs students by $500 million to $1 billion.
But it is unlikely that lawmakers will dramatically overhaul state school funding this legislative session.
“I do not think in this budget year we’re going to see the kinds of investments that the report is talking about, but I do think this is a good year to start talking about it,” said Democratic state Sen. Laura Sturgeon, who chairs the Senate Education Committee. “When you’re talking about a sea change in possibly how we fund education and in how much we invest in education, that is going to take time.”
The independent report, a direct result of a settlement from a lawsuit brought by civil rights groups that alleged the state was underfunding disadvantaged public school students, was presented to the public in December. Sturgeon said the General Assembly’s next step in changing how the state funds school districts will be to hold a hearing on the report next month.
That’s not good enough for Dwayne Bensing, legal director of the ACLU of Delaware, who helped litigate the case.
He wants the legislature to add substantially more money to the state’s education budget than Gov. John Carney has proposed. The governor has recommended $10 million more in Opportunity Funding for fiscal year 2025 to go to disadvantaged students, which includes those who are low-income, have a disability or speak English as a second language. Those weighted dollars were codified into law as part of the lawsuit settlement. Carney is also pushing to increase starting teacher salaries to $60,000 and to add more than $56 million to cover an increase in the state’s student population.
Bensing said Carney’s recommended spending doesn’t provide the investment in education that the report calls for.
“It would be increasing the education funding appropriation, which the governor’s proposed budget does not do,” he said. “I think since the report, they have increased by tens of millions of dollars, but the report’s saying that what we really need is an appropriation that’s much greater than what has been proposed in past administrations and what needs to be the operating budget for our school districts moving forward.”
During the report presentation in December, Delaware Education Secretary Mark Holodick said lawmakers should think about equity in developing legislation, especially when looking at how neighboring states, including Pennsylvania and New Jersey, dole out money to school districts.
“We say in Delaware, ZIP codes can tell you what outcomes are going to be,” he said. “Well, the same exact thing exists in Pennsylvania.”
Both Pennsylvania and New Jersey have student-based funding formulas that provide more money for low-income students and English language learners, while Delaware has a unit-based formula. Instead of a set amount per pupil in Delaware, there’s a yearly count of students where the number of children in each building are converted into units.
Like Delaware, Pennsylvania’s funding formula was challenged by a lawsuit in 2014. In 2023, a Commonwealth court ruled that Pennsylvania’s school funding formula was unconstitutionally underfunding poorer school districts.
Delaware
Delaware not quite up to FBS, Conference USA standards in 59-30 loss at Liberty
Blue Hens bashed 59-30 in Conference USA football game at Liberty
Coach Ryan Carty, LB Dillon Trainer discuss lopsided Delaware loss
LYNCHBURG, Va. – For the first time this year, Delaware looked out of its league.
That was bound to happen at some point for the Blue Hens, first-year members of Conference USA and the Football Bowl Subdivision that they are.
And it shouldn’t come as a great surprise that their exposure came on the campus of Liberty University, inside Williams Stadium, against a scenic Appalachian Mountains backdrop to the west.
It was truly a perfect college football setting in which Delaware’s imperfections were revealed.
That Liberty, who took an unbeaten record to the Fiesta Bowl just two years ago, was the opponent who uncovered the Blue Hens’ flaws was only a bit surprising. The Flames had not been their usual ferocious selves this year.
Based on its recent performances, it actually appeared Delaware had a prayer against the Flames.
Those answered, however, were the exclusive domain of evangelically rooted Liberty on this day, which showed no mercy for each Delaware indiscretion in its 59-30 romp.
There were a multitude of those, including Delaware having to settle for three points instead of earning six or seven three times in the first half, with failed execution and penalties among the culprits there. It sent Delaware into halftime down 28-9.
And Liberty surely took advantage of each shortcoming while also running roughshod over the Blue Hens. Evan Dickens ran for a career-high 217 yards and four touchdowns, including his 72-scoring sprint on the second play of the second half.
It put Liberty ahead 35-9, which had to feel eerily familiar to the Blue Hens. They’d fallen behind 35-6 in their 38-25 loss at Jacksonville State Oct. 15.
Delaware did appear more overmatched in this one, however, and again went about inflating its passing stats while playing catchup.
“It’s just an all-around butt whoopin’ is what it was,” coach Ryan Carty said afterward.
Particularly pivotal moments occurred in the second quarter. Down 14-6 with fourth-and-6 at its own 28, Delaware attempted a fake punt on which Gavin Moul took the snap and then pitched to K.T. Seay.
Liberty wasn’t fooled, dropping Seay for a 7-yard loss. The Flames scored two plays later to go up 14-6.
“It was a terrible call in hindsight,” Carty said. “So that is what it is. Sometimes you make those . . . It was just a well-defended play. But the look that we saw was conducive to it and the kid made a nice play, kind of ran right into it.”
Delaware did punt on its next series and almost had quarterback Ethan Vasko sacked on a third-and-8 at his 47 before he completed a 17-yard pass. Then, on a 19-yard catch that put Liberty at the 1, Seay appeared to have forced a fumble on which the ball hit the pylon – which would have been a touchback giving Delaware possession – but referees and replay officials ruled otherwise.
That was extremely pivotal. A touchdown there and another following an interception quickly put the Flames in command 28-6. It seemed like Delaware’s likelihood of winning had nearly vanished in an instant.
That’s where it’s important to remember that, as well as Delaware played to beat UConn and Florida International and nearly stun Western Kentucky, the Hens are first-year CUSA members. They’ve had one recruiting class and some transfer portal additions to build on what was already a very good FCS-level roster.
But this business of big-time college football is pitiless. Opportunity must be seized. Muscle and speed and smarts must be met with more of each.
And mistakes get magnified, especially against a foe as formidable as Liberty.
On Nov. 1, they amplified the fact that, for Delaware, the 2025 seasons is an initiation and the Hens still have a lot to learn.
Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com and our DE Game Day newsletter.
Delaware
Delaware judge allows school districts to issue higher commercial tax rates
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The Delaware Court of Chancery threw out a lawsuit regarding recent New Castle County property reassessments, clearing the way for updated tax bills to go out in November.
The original post-assessment property tax bills were sent out in July. State lawmakers, reacting to massive backlash from homeowners facing high tax bills, approved a statute in an August special session that allowed county school districts to issue higher rates for commercial properties for the 2025-2026 tax year, similar to what the county and city of Wilmington had already implemented.
New Castle County school districts then promptly issued new tax warrants, with the tax rates for nonresidential properties climbing from 35% to 80%, while lowering rates for residential properties.
Apartment trade organizations and mobile home operators challenged the new law in September, calling it unconstitutional. Chancery Court Vice Chancellor Lori Will heard arguments in the case on Oct. 20.
The plaintiffs had six arguments, including that the statute violated the state constitution’s uniformity clause, that it was “regressive” and that it unlawfully shifted the tax burden from homeowners onto lower-income renters and residents of manufactured homes. They also argued school districts illegally benefited from increased tax revenue without first holding a referendum.
Will rejected those arguments, saying the General Assembly has the authority to create and change classes of property.
Will said lawmakers’ concerns that homeowners would be less likely to be able to afford tax hikes than commercial properties was reasonable.
“Our constitution does not demand perfection from a tax system,” she wrote in her opinion. “To be unconstitutional, the system’s flaws must be pervasive and systemic, meaning that they are widespread and built into the system itself.”
Will also dismissed plaintiffs’ surprise revelation in early October that New Castle County was moving to reclassify more than 1,400 properties, shifting more than $1 billion in assessed value from residential to commercial.
“The isolated examples of misclassification are correctable administrative errors, not evidence of a system deliberately designed to be non-uniform,” she wrote.
Delaware
Wound Care Delaware Launches Mobile Wound Care Service
NEWARK, DE – October 27, 2025 – PRESSADVANTAGE –
Wound Care Delaware today announced the launch of a mobile wound care service effective October 27, 2025, expanding access to clinical wound assessment and treatment across Delaware. The program operates from the organization’s medical clinic at 1101 Twin C Lane, Suite 201A, Newark, DE 19713, and is designed to bring licensed clinicians to patient residences and care facilities in coordination with referring providers.
“The new service enables the clinical team to deliver wound evaluation and procedures in residential and facility settings while maintaining continuity with the clinic,” said Dr. John Ashby, physician at Wound Care Delaware. “The model emphasizes coordination with primary care, specialty practices, and case managers to support timely scheduling and documentation within established care plans.”
Wound Care Delaware operates a brick-and-mortar medical clinic that serves as the logistical base for mobile deployment. The clinic schedules visits, verifies coverage, and coordinates referrals. The mobile teams travel to patient residences, skilled nursing facilities, and assisted living facilities under physician oversight. The program incorporates documentation that aligns with referring provider instructions and plan of care requirements.
The mobile service follows a standard visit structure that includes intake, assessment, and procedure documentation. Clinicians record wound characteristics, materials used, and follow-up intervals in the patient record. The team communicates with referring offices regarding visit outcomes and next steps. This structure supports continuity across settings and reduces duplicate appointments. The objective is consistent record keeping within existing treatment plans.
The organization states that the service footprint includes communities throughout Delaware. The clinic address remains 1101 Twin C Lane, Suite 201A, Newark, DE 19713. The main line is (302) 404-2541. The scheduling team assigns routes based on geographic clusters and provider availability. The mobile units operate on weekdays with the capacity to adjust hours for facility coordination. The service integrates with transportation and building access policies at each location to meet compliance and safety requirements.
The clinical scope includes assessment of acute and chronic wounds as defined by referring providers. The team performs wound measurements, dressing changes, and related procedures that fall within licensure and policy. The program supports transitions of care following hospital discharge when wound care tasks are ordered for the home setting. Records from mobile visits are retained with clinic records to maintain a single chart. This approach enables a consolidated history for case review.
Wound Care Delaware maintains procedures that address consent, privacy, and infection control. Staff utilize protective equipment according to policy. Instruments and materials are handled in accordance with manufacturer instructions. Documentation is completed in an electronic record that supports secure data retention. The organization conducts periodic reviews of visit notes for completeness and consistency. Staff education covers route planning, equipment management, and incident reporting.
The program’s operational design centers on coordination with existing care teams. Referring clinicians transmit orders to the clinic, and the scheduling team assigns a visit window. The mobile team confirms entry instructions with the residence or facility. After the visit, the team transmits notes to the referring office. This process aligns tasks among providers and reduces administrative delays. The model is intended to keep the plan of care intact across settings.
Wound Care Delaware began developing the mobile capability to address logistical barriers that can arise for patients with limited mobility or transportation. The clinic serves as a point of contact for questions about routes, referrals, and documentation. The organization notes that the mobile service will adapt as referral patterns evolve. The clinical team will evaluate routing, equipment, and staffing on a recurring basis to match demand. The goal is reliable scheduling and consistent documentation.
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For more information about Wound Care Delaware, contact the company here:
Wound Care Delaware
Dr. John Ashby
(302) 404-2541
office@woundcaredelaware.com
1101 Twin C Ln Ste 201a
Newark, DE 19713
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