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Department of Education presents governor's FY26 capital recommendation; IT, minor capital and CN approvals highlighted
Summary
Secretary Cindy Martin and Department of Education staff outlined the governor's fiscal year 2026 recommended capital budget for public education, emphasizing a $215 million education package, a $4.5 million IT infrastructure request, an increased minor capital allocation, and department approvals of two locally funded Certificates of Necessity.
The Delaware Department of Education on Thursday presented the governor's recommended fiscal year 2026 capital budget for public education, telling the Joint Capital Improvement Committee that the package covers ongoing projects, minor capital improvements, architectural barrier removal and safety-and-security funding.
“I would like to thank everybody for the opportunity to present the governor's recommended fiscal year 2026 capital budget for public education,” Secretary Cindy Martin told the committee as she opened the department's presentation.
The department said the governor's recommendation includes just over $215,000,000 in public education capital funds for FY26 and noted that out‑year obligations for existing projects total about $365,000,000 in state funding. Department finance staff said the five‑year funding history for major capital projects ranged from a high of $350,000,000 (FY23) to a low of $160,000,000 (FY25).
On Certificates of Necessity (CNs), the department said it approved CNs only for projects that are 100% locally funded this round. Jen Carlson, the department's finance director, said two school districts received CNs for locally financed projects: K Pen Lopen and Del Mar School Districts. "K Pen Lopen received CNs for projects that are 100% supported with local funds including land purchase, construction of a new natatorium, new District Office and the development of a transportation facility," Carlson said. The department recorded that both districts decided not to pursue referendums this year and would reconsider submissions in future cycles.
The department also described a $4.5 million request for IT infrastructure across local education agencies. "The request for the IT infrastructure, the 4,500,000.0 is for distribution of switches amongst our LEAs," Carlson said, and provided a year‑one breakout the committee requested: roughly $2.2 million for switch replacements, about $1.85 million for routers and aggregated switches, $360,000 estimated for staff augmentation, $75,000 for design services and $8,000 for contracted installation services in year one. Director Bridal Maxwell (Office of Management and Budget) described the plan as a multi‑year, roughly five‑year lifecycle to rotate upgrades across districts so the state network and school connections remain current.
Committee members pressed for more detail. Representative Heffernan urged the Department to consider whether CN prioritization could create an alternative track for major renovations (for example, roof replacements) rather than prioritizing only capacity projects. Heffernan said renovation projects can extend a building's useful life at lower long‑run cost than building new capacity, and asked the department to consider “an alternate track for looking at CNs” to balance capacity and renovation priorities. Carlson said current prioritization starts with capacity, then life‑safety, then aesthetics and programmatic needs, and agreed to follow up on options.
Public commenters underscored related budget issues. Bill Doolittle, an advocate for children with disabilities, said one‑time funds have been diverted away from education through cash‑to‑bond actions, telling the committee: “From Delaware fiscal year 19 through the end of Delaware fiscal year 25, this has accumulated to 1,075,000,000. This year is another hundred and $31,000,000 being diverted.” Other commenters argued for childcare infrastructure and continued capital support for safety and minor capital investments.
Committee members asked the department for follow‑up materials the department offered to provide: a district‑level capacity/utilization report, a detailed IT procurement/implementation breakdown, and a list of all CN requests and their status for FY26.
The presentation concluded with the department turning to the next agenda item. The committee did not take any formal votes on the floor during the DOE presentation; the department recorded its CN approvals as administrative actions taken earlier in the FY26 CN process.
