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HB32 • 2025

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL OFFICER FUNDING.

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL OFFICER FUNDING.

Education Labor
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Shupe
Last action
2025-01-22
Official status
House Education 12/19/24
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill has passed both chambers but reached a 'Motion to Release Failed' status, meaning it may not become law without further action.

HB32: Funding School Officers in Delaware Public Schools

This bill creates a funding system to pay for at least one security officer or constable in every public school and charter school in Delaware, with extra funds available based on student numbers.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates 'school officer units' to fund law enforcement officers (SROs) or constables in schools.
  • Provides enough funding for one officer unit at every school district building and charter school.
  • Adds more funding units for any students beyond the first 1,000 enrolled at a single location.
  • Requires state funds to cover up to 70% of an officer's salary while local funds pay the rest.
  • Allows schools to combine partial funding amounts or take cash in place of hiring extra officers.

Who It Names or Affects

  • School districts and charter schools across Delaware
  • Students enrolled in public education systems

Terms To Know

School officer unit
A specific amount of money set aside to pay for the salary and costs of hiring a school security worker.
Constable
An employee or contractor hired by a school who has been officially appointed as a law enforcement officer under state rules.
School resource officer (SRO)
A police officer stationed at a specific school to work with students and staff.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not state when the funding will officially begin or take effect.
  • It is unclear how schools must handle fractional units if they choose not to combine them for hiring, other than taking a cash option up to 30% of a unit.

Bill History

  1. 2025-01-22 Delaware General Assembly

    Motion to Release Failed

  2. 2024-12-19 Delaware General Assembly

    Introduced and Assigned to Education Committee in House

Official Summary Text

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL OFFICER FUNDING.
This Act establishes school officer units to fund school resource officers or constables in all Delaware public schools.
Specifically, this Act funds at least 1 school officer in each school in a school district and in each charter school, regardless of enrollment, and provides for additional school officers for schools with over 1,000 students.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Legislation Document

SPONSOR:

Rep. Shupe & Sen. Lawson

Rep. Dukes

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE BILL NO. 32

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL OFFICER FUNDING.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

Section 1. Amend Chapter 17, Title 14 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 1716I. School officer unit.

(a) For purposes of this section:

(1) “Charter school” means a public school established under Chapter 5 of this title.

(2) “Constable” means an employee or contractor of a school district or charter school who is appointed and commissioned under Chapter 56 of Title 24.

(3) “School district” means a clearly defined geographic subdivision of this State organized for the purpose of administering public education in that area and includes a district specifically created to administer a system of vocational or technical education.

(4) “School officer” means a constable or an SRO.

(5) “School resource officer” or “SRO” means a law-enforcement officer, as defined in § 9200(b) of Title 11, who is stationed in a school district or charter school.

(b) All school districts and charter schools will receive school officer units for employment of school officers as follows:

(1)

For a school district, each school in the school district will receive all of the following:

a. One school officer unit for each school in the school district.

b. An additional school officer unit for every 1,000 full-time equivalent students in the school over 1,000 full-time equivalent students.

c. A fractional school officer unit equivalent to the percentage of full-time equivalent students in the school over 1,000 full-time equivalent students but insufficient to meet the threshold for an additional school officer unit under paragraph (b)(1)b. of this section.

(2) For a charter school, the charter school will receive all of the following:

a. One school officer unit for the charter school.

b. An additional school officer unit for every 1,000 full-time equivalent students in the charter

school over 1,000 full-time equivalent students.

c. A fractional school officer unit equivalent to the percentage of full-time equivalent students in

the charter school over 1,000 full-time equivalent students but insufficient to meet the threshold for an additional

school officer unit under paragraph (b)(2)b. of this section.

(c) Each student counted in establishing a school officer unit under subsection (b) of this section may be

counted only once in a school district or charter school.

(d) Funding for a school officer unit or fractional school officer unit must be shared between

State and local funds. The State shall pay a maximum of 70% of the annual salary rate and other employment costs for a

school officer. The remaining percentage of the annual salary and other employment costs for a school

officer must be paid by local funds.

(e)(1) A school district or charter school that receives a school officer unit must use the funding

appropriated for the school officer unit to employ a school officer.

(2) A school district or charter school eligible to receive a fractional school officer unit may do one

of the following:

a. Combine fractional school officer units to fund a school officer.

b. Elect to take a cash option for fractional school officer units up to 30% of a school

officer unit. A school district or charter school making the election under this paragraph (e)(2)b. shall use the

funding on items authorized under § 4140(b) of this title.

(f) A school district or charter school may decline to accept the school officer unit funding.

(g) An SRO funded under this section shall comply with the training requirements under §

4112F(d) of this title.

(h) The Department of Education may, with the approval of the State Board of Education, adopt regulations to

implement, administer, and enforce this section.

SYNOPSIS

This Act establishes school officer units to fund school resource officers or constables in all Delaware public schools.

Specifically, this Act funds at least 1 school officer in each school in a school district and in each charter school, regardless of enrollment, and provides for additional school officers for schools with over 1,000 students.