Picture a classroom with 25 students, one teacher, a textbook that was printed before half these kids were born and a test coming up on Friday. Now picture another classroom: same number of students, same teacher except each student has a learning tool that adapts to exactly how their brain works, gives them instant feedback and keeps them so engaged that attendance has jumped 12%. Which classroom would you want your child in?

That second classroom isn’t a fantasy; it’s what House Bill 404, the Artificial Intelligence and Extended Reality in Schools Pilot Program, would make possible right here in Delaware. And yet, as the bill sits in the General Assembly, the clock is ticking. Every day without action is another day our kids fall further behind the rest of the country.

Let’s be clear about what this bill is and what it isn’t. HB 404 is not about replacing teachers with robots. It’s not about handing every kid an iPad and calling it innovation. It’s a carefully structured, three-year pilot program that would select 12 Delaware schools spanning elementary, middle and high school levels across all three counties and the City of Wilmington to test the real-world impact of AI and extended reality technologies in the classroom. The Department of Education would oversee every step. A committee would study best practices from other states and countries before recommending any products. The Department of Technology and Information and the Department of Justice would be involved to ensure student data is protected, with penalty clauses for data breaches built directly into the contracts. This is not some rushed experiment – it is a deliberate, responsible investment in our children’s future.

Some people hear artificial intelligence and assume this is about chasing a trend. The research says otherwise. Students in AI-supported learning environments experience up to 10 times higher engagement levels than those in traditional classrooms. A University of Maryland study found that students learning in virtual reality environments saw a 76% improvement in outcomes compared to conventional teaching methods. AI-enhanced programs have produced 54% higher test scores. This is especially important as our recent test scores place Delaware students close to the bottom in fourth- and eighth-grade math and language arts scores.

For Delaware’s educators, the benefits are just as compelling. Teachers using AI tools like Khanmigo spend 44% less time on lesson planning, grading and administrative tasks. That’s time they get back to actually mentor students: to notice the kid in the third row who’s struggling and hasn’t said anything. In districts where annual teacher turnover runs at 15% or higher, this isn’t a perk, it’s a lifeline.

This is also an economic issue, and we need to be honest about it. The rest of the world is not waiting for Delaware to make up its mind. The global AI-in-education market hit $7.57 billion in 2025 – a 46% jump from the year before. XR technology already supports about 80,000 jobs nationwide and is projected to grow to 2.32 million jobs by 2030. The automotive, healthcare, real estate and manufacturing industries are already using these tools to train their workforces. A PricewaterhouseCoopers survey found that employees trained with VR were four times faster to train and reported a 275% increase in confidence when applying new skills. So ask yourself: What happens to the Delaware student who graduates having never interacted with these tools and walks into a job interview against a candidate who has been using them since middle school? Failing to pass HB 404 doesn’t keep our schools traditional; it might make them irrelevant.

One of the most important things about HB 404 is that the 12 selected schools must represent diverse demographics. This pilot isn’t just for affluent districts with existing resources. HB 404 is designed specifically to reach students who have historically been left behind by education reform. AI tools offer real-time translation support, adaptive learning for students with disabilities, and personalized pathways for kids who don’t thrive in a one-size-fits-all model. Students in personalized learning settings show 75% higher motivation compared to just 30% in traditional classrooms. For Delaware’s most vulnerable learners, this legislation isn’t just beneficial; we believe this could be transformative.

It is also worth noting who stands behind this bill. The Delaware Department of Education (instrumental in writing this legislation), the Delaware Association of School Administrators, the Delaware School Boards Association, the Delaware State Education Association, the Delaware Business Roundtable and business leaders from across our state have all voiced their support for HB 404. When educators, administrators, school boards, teachers’ unions, and the business community are all aligned behind a single piece of legislation, that is not a coincidence. That is a message of confidence that signals HB 404 is the best policy at the right time for the right reasons.

There is a version of this story where Delaware does nothing. Where lawmakers decide the timing isn’t right, the politics are too complicated, or the concerns about technology outweigh the overwhelming evidence in its favor. In that version, our teachers keep burning out. Our students keep disengaging. Our graduation rates stagnate. And the students who need the most support continue to receive the least. HB 404 sunsets after three years unless the data proves it worth expanding, and it requires a full report to the governor and the General Assembly on whether it is working. This is exactly how responsible policy innovation should look. This is not reckless adoption, but smart, evidence-driven testing with full accountability.

Delaware students deserve legislators who will fight for their futures with the same urgency that the future is arriving. The evidence is clear. The coalition is broad. The bill is ready. Now it is time for Delaware’s elected officials to act.

Make your voice heard. Contact your representatives today.

The Delaware General Assembly needs to hear from you. Call or email your state representative and state senator, and tell them you support HB 404. You can find your legislators and their contact information at legis.delaware.gov. You can also contact the governor’s office directly at governor.delaware.gov or by calling 302-744-4101. Tell them: pass HB 404. Delaware’s students are counting on it.