A Republican legislature has made it his mission to educate Delaware’s youth on finances. Rep. Jeff Hilovsky, R-Millsboro, has proposed a bill that would require public schools to teach financial literacy, which is essentially how to make smart decisions about money. “I’ve kind of taken this on as a badge of honor,” he said. Hilovsky said he has noticed his …
Delaware still expects $963.5 surplus for 2024 budget
Delaware heads toward the final moves in creating its 2024 budget, which starts July 1, with a projected $963.5 surplus. It will be the third straight year in a row of extraordinary revenues that hit right at $1 billion, and a turbulent economy it’s expected to be the last for a while to reach that stratospheric height. Revenue estimates rose …
Revenues fall slightly as state noses into post-COVID economy
Delaware may have passed the peak of a rise in post-covid revenues, the Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council heard Monday. Financial experts call that peak an “inflection point,” akin to that moment when roller-coaster riders feel a brief lift in their tummies before the coaster takes a plunge. That doesn’t mean the state’s finances will plunge. Only that they …
Kent, Sussex child care centers may get higher Del. payments
A bill that would force the state to pay Kent and Sussex County child care programs the same fees that it pays New Castle ones seems headed to the Senate floor. No one spoke against Senate Bill 59, sponsored by Sen. Kyle Evans Gay, D-Arden, when it came up Wednesday in the Senate Health & Social Services Committee. Gay said …
Delaware offers second round of child care worker bonuses
Tiny Tots Childcare Director Jessica Burns got good news Wednesday: A second round of relief checks for Delaware’s child care professionals. That will help her workers pay for their certifications, which cost between $300 and $500, she said. “This definitely is a retention effort by the state,” she said. “My staff is very, very excited and hoping to get to …
Child care report: First State lacks affordable options
A new report from Rodel shows that First State families do not have adequate access to affordable child care. A coalition of advocacy groups – including Rodel, the Delaware Association for the Education of Young Children, Delaware Readiness Teams and the First State Pre-K – conducted a survey with hundreds of Delaware families to gauge their feelings about child care …
State to embrace new math ‘framework’ to raise scores
The Delaware Department of Education is championing higher-quality math curriculums, spending more time on the topic and offering more professional training to teachers. It is part of what the department calls a framework to help combat the state’s atrocious scores in math, including 18 schools that have single-digit proficiency scores. Just 29.48% of First State students are proficient in math, …
2022 Rewind: Republican Party must change to win, leaders say
This story was originally published in November 2022. Republicans did not fare well in Delaware’s Nov. 8 election. Democrats widened their majority in the state Senate, maintained the balance of power in the House, and won every election for statewide elected offices. In the wake of the Republican wallop, some party leaders are hoping the party will begin to move …
ICYMI: Delaware GOP needs to change, leaders say
Republicans did not fare well in Delaware’s Nov. 8 election. Democrats widened their majority in the state Senate, maintained the balance of power in the House, and won every election for statewide elected offices. In the wake of the Republican wallop, some party leaders are hoping the party will begin to move in a more productive direction — one that …
Delaware GOP leaders: Party needs change to win
Republicans did not fare well in Delaware’s Nov. 8 election. Democrats widened their majority in the state Senate, maintained the balance of power in the House, and won every election for statewide elected offices. In the wake of the Republican wallop, some party leaders are hoping the party will begin to move in a more productive direction — one that …