An Act To Amend Title 14 Of The Delaware Code Relating To Training For School Boards.
Summary
HB77 amends Delaware Title 14 to require training for both traditional school board members and charter school board members at the start of their terms. The required training covers special education due process hearings, school board meeting requirements under Title 14 and the Freedom of Information Act, best practices for conducting meetings and using rules of order, and the State Employees, Officers and Officials Code of Conduct. The bill also directs the Department of Education to establish the training criteria, materials, and method for the special education due process component, while school districts and charter schools are responsible for providing the other required trainings.
The bill requires the training to be offered virtually at least twice a year and allows the Department or local boards to delegate or purchase delivery from another entity. It also requires board presidents to notify newly elected or appointed members of the training obligation and to send follow-up letters to members who have not completed training by the specified deadline. The notice and training requirements may be combined with existing financial responsibility training under Title 14, reducing duplication with current compliance obligations.
Impact
HB77 creates new statutory training obligations for school board and charter school board members in Delaware and amends Sections 1049B and 519 of Title 14 accordingly. It expands the responsibilities of the Department of Education, school districts, and charter schools by requiring them to identify, provide, or arrange training on governance, open meetings, ethics, and special education due process. The bill affects school board members, charter school board directors, and the administrative entities that support them, while also integrating the new requirements with existing financial responsibility training provisions.
Sentiment
The overall sentiment around HB77 appears strongly favorable and noncontroversial. The bill passed the House unanimously 40-0 and the Senate unanimously 20-0, suggesting broad bipartisan support for formalizing board member training. The synopsis also indicates that many school boards already provide similar training, which likely reduced resistance and made the measure appear as a codification and standardization of existing practice rather than a major policy shift.
Contention
There is little evidence of substantive opposition or controversy in the available record. The main policy choices are administrative: whether the Department of Education or local school districts/charter schools should provide the training, and how much flexibility should be allowed to delegate or purchase training from outside entities. Another practical point is the requirement that training be offered virtually at least twice a year, but the bill’s synopsis suggests these requirements align with what many boards already do, limiting likely contention.