Department of Education asks for $9.3M to shore up K–12 connectivity and outlines plan to address school construction backlog

Secretary Martin and Department of Education officials presented the agency’s strategic plan and FY27 capital priorities to the Joint Capital Improvement Committee, centering instruction as the driver for construction and measurable student outcomes.

Secretary Martin said Delaware serves 142,000 public school students across 43 local education agencies and outlined targets the department hopes to hit by 2028: raise third‑grade reading proficiency from 38% to 53%, increase graduation rates from 89% to 91%, lower chronic absenteeism from 15% to 13%, expand early education access from 25% to 40%, and train 100% of K–3 teachers in the science of reading.

Brian Ray, associate secretary for finance and operations, reviewed five‑year capital funding trends (peaking near $350 million in 2023, dipping to about $160 million in 2025) and explained the FY27 capital package. He said ongoing projects tied to previously approved certificates of necessity account for roughly $140 million and noted a $17.2 million state‑funded project in the pipeline. Ray emphasized two $15 million lines for minor capital and enhanced minor capital (the latter with no local match) and described the department’s effort to keep the lines separate so districts are not inadvertently required to provide local matches.

Ray outlined a multi‑year IT infrastructure request that seeks $9.3 million in year one as part of a 4–5 year remediation plan. The plan would fund a comprehensive network assessment, replacement of roughly 600 switches in year one, upgrades to routers and aggregate equipment, and installation of management tools. Ray said implementation would be carried out in partnership with the state’s DTI so districts do not bear the burden of deploying equipment.

Committee members pressed DOE on two related concerns: whether the connectivity request addresses problems with the student information system (Infinite Campus) and how the department prioritizes certificates of necessity (CNs). Department leaders said Infinite Campus implementation and infrastructure are separate problems: Infinite Campus requires vendor fixes and patches, while the connectivity funding is intended to reduce single points of failure at school sites so instructional tools can function reliably. DOE offered to provide a more detailed post‑hearing readout on both the Infinite Campus fixes and the network assessment.

On CNs, members raised equity and backlog concerns. DOE said capacity is the top rubric criterion for approving CNs, followed by deferred maintenance and other needs, and reported a large backlog of outstanding CN projects—about $1.5 billion by their accounting, which could rise toward $1.7 billion after inflation adjustments. DOE committed to sharing the rubric and an updated deferred‑maintenance figure with the committee.

Representative and senator questions also touched on lead‑in‑water testing and filter installations. DOE said the initial filter‑first program seeded testing and installations statewide and that districts will continue three‑year compliance testing; the department will follow up with a report on current status and expenditures.

During public comment, Matt Burrows (on the record for an Appo‑area district) urged the committee to address a structural funding gap in the state construction formula for site work and special‑education space that he said can amount to more than 35% of true project costs. He said his district reduced a project estimate by value engineering but still faces a gap that will prevent previously approved projects from being delivered as designed.

What’s next: DOE officials committed to provide the committee with the CN rubric, an updated deferred‑maintenance estimate, and a detailed response on Infinite Campus fixes. The committee recessed DOE questions and moved to the next agency presentation.