The Delaware House Education Committee has passed a bill that would provide funding for athletic trainers at every Delaware public high school.
Delaware schools currently are only required to supply an athletic trainer during football games, although many schools provide full-time athletic trainers either as a member of the staff, or outsourced through third-party contractors.
The Delaware House Education Committee has passed a bill that would provide funding for athletic trainers at every Delaware public high school.Â
Delaware schools currently are only required to supply an athletic trainer during football games, although many schools provide full-time athletic trainers either as a member of the staff, or outsourced through third-party contractors.Â
Bill sponsor Rep. Michael Smith (R-Pike Creek) said he has a family reason to push for stronger athletic trainer coverage.
"My son had a head injury recently, and I think if we had an AT look at him right away, he probably doesn't miss two weeks of schools, midterms, and have to make something up," Smith told WDEL.Â
The bill would be implemented on staggered basis. In 2025, nine schools would recieve funding for the athletic trainer, while the number jumps to 18 schools in 2026, before all 59 public schools would receive the funding by 2027.Â
It's expected the state would pitch in $74,829 for each athletic trainer, with the local share coming out to $24,552.
When fully implemented, it's expected to cost the state $4,593,257, with a $1,507,109 local match for the $6,100,366 worth of positions.
According to a 2019-20 study by the Korey Springer Institute, 44 percent of Delaware high schools have full-time ATs and 37 percent use part-time services, while 19 percent have no AT service at all.
HB 244 was passed by the House Education Committee unanimously, and is now on the Ready List to be voted on by the State House. It would still need to pass the State Senate and the Governor's desk before becoming law.
