Given a school board that is split between those devoted to the discredited old guard and those seeking a new path, turmoil will continue. How long it will dominate the agenda will depend on how well the school board manages its mission. So far it hasn't lived up to its potential. The state's economic bellwether, the Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council, believes revenue growth will be slower next year than anticipated. But that's not likely to happen.
Prudence demands that the next budget contain costs.
But it can't be ignored. It must be viewed as an early warning of further declines. Gov. Carper's aides are saying the budget can grow about 5 percent. If revenues go up, deal with that happy circumstance later in the fiscal year.