• About the State Board of Education

    The Delaware State Board of Education consists of nine members who are citizens of the State of Delaware. The Board is comprised of seven voting members and two non-voting members. Voting members are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the State Senate. Members have residence in each of Delaware’s counties and the city of Wilmington, belong to different political parties, and bring a diverse set of skills and perspectives to the work. At least two members have previously served on a local board of education. Non-voting members are appointed annually by the Governor and include an 11th or 12th grade student currently enrolled in a public school and a former State Teacher of the Year. A brief summary of the Board of Education is also available.

    The State Board of Education has a wide variety of roles and responsibilities, including:

    • Advancing Education Policies and Systems
      • Approving regulations governing 100+ topics, including approval of content standards, assessments, graduation requirements, educator evaluation, DIAA regulations, licensure and certification, and many others;
      • Serving as the CTE Eligible Agency for the State Perkins Plan;
      • Approving charter school authorizations—new, major modifications, renewals, and formal review.
    • Providing Strategic Oversight and Advocacy
      • Providing a breadth and viewpoint of a citizen’s board;
      • Providing the Secretary of Education with advice in the development of policy, new initiatives, budget requests, etc.
    • Resolving Disputes and Controversies
      • Resolving disputes and controversies of the state education system, including school district boundaries, rules/regulations of local boards and suspensions/expulsions for disciplinary reasons.

    The Board’s regular monthly meetings are open to the public and are usually scheduled for the third Thursday of the month, beginning at 5:00 p.m. The Board rotates locations of regular meetings among Delaware's three counties.

    The Board’s Strategic Plan, including its strategic priorities, can be found here.

    FY19 State Board of Education Annual Report

    You can reach the State Board of Education office by calling (302) 735-4010.

    State Board of Education Members and Staff

    List of State Board members and staff

    Student Member Position Application Postponed

    The Governor annually appoints one non-voting member who, at the time of the appointment, is or will be in the next school year an 11thor 12th grade student at a public school in the state. Additional information can be found in the 2020 Student Board Member Application packet.

    On March 12, 2020, Governor Carney issued a declaration of a state of emergency for the state of Delaware due to a public health threat. As a result, the Student Board member application process will be postponed until further notice and until school resumes.

    Questions about the student member application process should be directed to SBEstudentApplication@delaware.gov.

    Questions about the State Board of Education may be directed to Jenna Ahner by email or by calling 302-735-4010.

    Meetings

    All meeting agendas and materials can be found on the State Board of Education's eBoard page.

    To be added to the State Board of Education's email list, please email Jenna Ahner with the subject "SBE Mailing List".

    Upcoming Student Forums

    Are you a student attending school in Delaware with input to share about your education? The State Board of Education wants to hear from you!

    For the first time in Delaware history, a public school student is now represented on the State Board of Education. A student will be appointed by the Governor to serve on the Board each year. To help expand on the input of the student member, the Board wants to hear from students throughout the state to help inform their discussions about education in Delaware.

    The purpose of the forum is to gather input of high school students in order to help inform Board discussions. Some topics of conversation could include: career pathways, graduation requirements, state testing, and others you find important.

    The Student Education Forums will be held on March 14th from 10:30am-12:30pm at the James H. Gilliam Building (New Castle County) and April 18th from 10:30am-12:30pm at the Georgetown Public Library (Sussex County).These are public meetings and all students statewide are welcome to attend. For planning purposes, we request that anyone planning to attend register at the links above. Registration is not required for attendance.

    Please email Jenna Ahner with any questions about the event.

    Board Information and Procedures
Last Modified on March 19, 2020