Matt Meyer

We must invest more in Delaware’s public education system and distribute resources more equitably, according to student need, to support low-income students, students with disabilities, and English language learners. The current funding system, based on unit count, is archaic, established in the 1940s. I will implement a weighted funding formula based on dollars instead of positions, in order to provide greater funding transparency to all Delawareans, including policymakers, school administrators, teachers, and families. The state’s effective tax rates vary substantially amongst school districts, with some shouldering tax rates almost four times higher than others. A formula considering both state and local revenue, generating target funding levels for each district or school, will contribute to balancing local capacity. This will ensure fair funding levels, accounting for both state and local revenue variations, ultimately fostering educational equity across the state.
Opportunity funding was an important step forward. Equitable funding should not be an annual addition to the budget but rather part of our state funding formula.
We will also closely monitor and assess educational funding streams statewide post-reassessment to ensure the math represents our values, that every child deserves an equal opportunity to access an excellent education.

I not only commit to boosting investment in public education by an additional $3,400 to $6,400 per student, but also to allocate resources based on a 2025 formula using 21st-century values. Resources should be allocated according to student needs, especially for low-income students, those with disabilities, and English language learners.

My choice for Secretary of Education will share my commitment to improving Delaware’s education system by focusing on improving funding, closing disparities, and expanding opportunities. We will collaborate with Delaware teachers, increase investment and equity in school funding, address the teacher shortage, increase educator salaries, ensure statewide access to universal pre-K, as well as enhance primary, secondary, vocational, and technical education for all students.
As a teacher, countless times I read policy pronouncements by Secretaries of Education - in Delaware and across the country - that had little to no impact on our classrooms. I will hire a Secretary of Education that takes a student- and family-centric approach to education, that understands that we must approve the educational outcomes that Delaware families deserve. And that is a matter of urgency.

Emphatically, yes. As New Castle County Executive, I have championed progressive policies to make New Castle County a place where immigrants can thrive, including standing up to then President Donald Trump so that our County police and libraries were and are welcome to all equally, regardless of immigrant status. We also invested public funds to ensure we are a place that welcomes refugees and asylum seekers, including providing housing through the Hope Center. The Cover All Delaware Children Act is an incredibly important bill that makes sure children and pregnant women have the healthcare that they need. It not only is critical to providing services equitably, it is also smart public health policy.

Language should not be a barrier to public programs. I will support government funding for interpreters to assist in accessing government services. We also will assess and redouble efforts to hire individuals with both language and cultural competency, across state agencies and in our public schools.

All workers deserve a fair and safe working environment.

As one of my first acts of office, I commit to a plan to make sure that everyone who is eligible for mandatory expungement will get it as quickly as possible. I also will work to pardon low-level marijuana convictions. I will work to implement policies that eliminate punishment for crimes of poverty.

The number of people who are incarcerated in Delaware because of a minor probation violation - not because they committed a new crime - is way too high. We have an unduly restrictive probation system that locks people up for technical violations like arriving late for an appointment. I support meaningful probation reform, which emphasizes rehabilitation and support, restricts the use of incarceration for technical violations, and limits maximum incarceration length. I agree with customizing probation conditions to individual needs and rigorously collecting and analyzing data on probation and parole to reduce recidivism rates. I support a criminal justice system that sets people up to succeed, not that sets them backward. I also believe we need to support those who have served their time with resources and opportunities to increase the likelihood of success outside of the criminal justice system.

I support compassionate release for older incarcerated adults and those with serious medical conditions. A 2021 Delaware Department of Correction report showed that more than 20% of incarcerated people were 51-years-old or older. Multiple studies suggest that criminality declines with age. I believe that compassionate release promotes a criminal justice system that is more humane, honors rehabilitation, and acknowledges that people can change for the better.

I was an early supporter of the First State Abortion Fund and will always protect a woman’s right to choose. Further, I will always support women’s healthcare. I will maintain Delaware’s membership in the Reproductive Freedom Alliance, a non-partisan coalition of Governors committed to protecting and expanding access to reproductive care. I will champion a constitutional amendment to enshrine a woman’s right to choose in the Delaware constitution. In addition, no person should risk eviction, health complications, loss of employment, or other consequences to cover their medical care. Last year, the legislature failed to enact a measure to ensure that people on Medicaid, private, and state insurance plans can access abortion care without financial burden. As Governor, I will work to enact this needed legislation. Seventeen states have adopted Medicaid funding for abortion; Delaware must, as well.

I will work aggressively to make voting easier and more accessible for all citizens, including mail-in voting, no excuse absentee voting, and the restoration of full voting rights for those who were previously incarcerated.

I will make sure that everyone who is eligible to vote will be able to vote.