Explore Delaware Schools, reading at the state fair, student State Board member

Delaware launches Explore Delaware Schools

Families should not have to search across multiple websites to understand Delaware’s public schools. Public information should be easy to find, easy to understand, and clearly connected wherever people access it.

This month, the Delaware Department of Education launched Explore Delaware Schools, a new public portal that brings together school information, attendance boundaries, available school profile and performance information, and interactive mapping tools into one place. The site provides a trusted starting point for families exploring school options and learning more about Delaware’s public schools. The portal establishes the foundation for a more connected public experience as additional education resources, reporting tools, and validated public information are integrated over time.

Explore Delaware Schools reflects the department’s broader commitment to making public information more transparent, more accessible, and easier to use. Over time, information about Delaware schools has expanded across multiple reports, websites, and tools. This new portal provides one front door where families and community members can begin their search with confidence.

“Families deserve one trusted starting point to understand their public schools,” Secretary of Education Cindy Marten said. “Our responsibility is not simply to publish information. It is to make that information understandable, accessible, and useful. When people spend less time searching for answers, they spend more time making informed decisions for their children.”

The portal allows users to:

• Find schools based on a home address.
• Explore school profiles and attendance boundaries.
• Access available school profile and performance information.
• Connect to additional public education resources and statewide reporting.

“Good government begins with public trust,” Marten said. “That trust grows when families know where to go, can navigate information clearly, and have confidence that what they’re reading is accurate. This is another step toward making Delaware’s public education system easier to navigate and more responsive to the people we serve.”

Delaware expanded opportunities for students to read, explore new ideas, and experience the joy of learning at this year's state fair. (See more fair pics.)

Families visiting the Delaware State Fair found more than rides and exhibits this month. They also found opportunities to spark a lifelong love of reading.

Leaders from the Delaware Department of Education staffed the Governor's Booth, where they distributed free books to children and families throughout the day. Many young readers eagerly selected a book and began reading almost immediately.

The experience continued at the Delaware Charter School Network booth, where comfortable, flexible seating gave children a welcoming place to open their new books and start reading.

The event highlighted the power of community partnerships in supporting literacy. By working together to increase access to books and create inviting spaces for reading, organizations across Delaware are helping more children build strong literacy skills and develop a lasting love of learning.

State Board appoints student member from Cape Henlopen H.S. 

Governor Matt Meyer this month announced the appointment of Caleb Marcus of Sussex County as the student member of the Delaware State Board of Education for the 2026-27 school year.

As student member, Marcus will serve as a non-voting member of the State Board of Education, providing the student perspective on issues affecting Delaware's public education system and helping inform Board discussions on policy, regulations, and the future of education in the First State.

“Caleb has consistently demonstrated a remarkable commitment to ensuring students have a meaningful voice in the decisions that shape their education,” said Governor Matt Meyer. “From advocating for student representation at the local level to contributing to statewide education initiatives, he has shown leadership, initiative, and a genuine drive to improve opportunities for his classmates. I am excited to appoint him to the State Board of Education and look forward to the perspective he will bring to the Board’s work. Every day, our students aren’t preparing for the distant future, they’re shaping Delaware right now, in our classrooms and communities.”

Marcus, a rising senior at Cape Henlopen High School in Lewes, was selected from a competitive pool of applicants from across Delaware. Throughout the selection process, he emphasized the importance of meaningful student engagement in educational decision-making and shared his vision for strengthening partnerships between students, educators, and policymakers.

The Governor's appointment follows recommendations from the State Board of Education's student member selection process, which seeks students who have demonstrated leadership, service, and a commitment to improving educational opportunities for their peers.

2026 Delaware Teacher of the Year attends Space Camp

2026 Delaware Teacher of the Year Jenna DiEleuterio attended Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala. earlier this month. (See more Space Camp pics.)

Delaware Teacher of the Year Jenna DiEleuterio (2026) joined teacher of the year representatives from around the country at Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama earlier this month. 

DiEleuterio, a reading specialist at Brandywine School District's Talley Middle School, represented Delaware this year as part of the 2025 celebration.

State teachers of the year from across the country became students for the week-long program, where they sleep in the dorms by night and participate in space simulations by day.

The 2027 Delaware Teacher of the Year will be named this October. 

Selected from among the almost 10,000 public school teachers in the state, Delaware Teacher of the Year candidates are nominated by their districts or the Delaware Charter School Network because of their ability to inspire students with a love of learning, demonstration of professional traits and devotion to teaching. Already leaders among the colleagues in their buildings, each assumes a role representing educators in their districts or the charter network.

Caring adults helps strengthen literacy and student success

Delaware residents have a new opportunity to make a lasting difference in the life of a student through the State of Delaware Student Mentoring Program.

The statewide initiative connects trained volunteer mentors with students who benefit from additional encouragement, positive relationships, and literacy support. Research consistently shows that students with a supportive adult in their lives experience stronger academic, social, and emotional outcomes. Through regular mentoring, volunteers help students build reading skills while fostering confidence, curiosity, and a greater sense of belonging.

The mentoring process is designed to make volunteering straightforward. Interested individuals complete an online application, undergo a background check, participate in a two-hour virtual training, and are matched with a participating school. Once connected, mentors provide consistent support that helps students grow both in and out of the classroom.

The program reflects Delaware's commitment to strengthening public education through partnerships with families, educators, and communities. By investing time in a student's success, mentors help create stronger readers, stronger relationships, and stronger communities.

Individuals interested in becoming a mentor or learning more about the program are encouraged to visit de.gov/mentoring.