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House Education Committee releases bill to create Delaware Certificate of Arts Excellence
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Summary
The House Education Committee voted to release SB260, which would create a Delaware Certificate of Arts Excellence recognizing sustained high‑school achievement in the arts; the bill won committee support after testimony from educators, arts groups and students.
The House Education Committee voted to release SB260, a bill that would establish a Delaware Certificate of Arts Excellence to formally recognize high‑school students who demonstrate sustained achievement in music, theater, dance, media arts or visual arts.
An unnamed presenter told the committee SB260 builds on prior work including Senate Concurrent Resolution 109 and the CREATE plan and would task the Department of Education and the State Board with setting criteria such as coursework, portfolios and community engagement. "This certificate ensures that every student statewide can earn meaningful statewide recognition for their work," the presenter said.
Committee members expressed support. Representative Moore said arts education supports social‑emotional learning and student engagement and said she would sign on as a cosponsor.
Public testimony broadly supported the bill. Kendall Massett, executive director of the Delaware Charter Schools Network, told the committee his network’s 24 charter schools serve about 19,050 students and that roughly half of those schools are high schools that would benefit from the certificate. "We fully support this," Massett said.
Jeff Leager, a Delaware music educator and president‑elect of the Delaware Music Educators Association, said SB260 would streamline support for performing and visual arts programs. Jordan Resch of the Delaware Arts Alliance said the certificate would advance the CREATE plan’s recommendations to bridge students into creative‑economy career pathways.
Students and educators also spoke in favor. Sadie Andrews, a theater teacher and teaching artist, cited National Endowment for the Arts research linking arts participation to higher academic outcomes. Noah Lewis, a senior and arts advocate, urged the committee to "create a pathway that honors and uplifts the incredible student artists of Delaware."
After public comment and brief discussion, the committee polled members and Chair Williams announced the motion carried; the committee released the bill for further consideration.
Next steps: SB260 will move forward from committee for additional consideration and any subsequent floor action will be scheduled by legislative leaders.
