Connecticut Post: Bridgeport schools could get millions more under proposed CT education funding bill

Bridgeport Public Schools could receive millions more in annual state funding under a new bill designed to reduce disparities between rich and poor public school districts across Connecticut.

The legislation, known as HB 5003, would provide the city’s resource-starved school system with an estimated $13.6 million in extra aid starting in the 2024-25 school year, according to an analysis by the School + State Finance Project, a Hamden-based nonprofit that is backing the bill.

The proposal bolsters school funding by fully covering the state's Education Cost Sharing program three years ahead of schedule, while also financing the costs associated with magnet programs, charter schools and the state’s Open Choice initiative.

Lisa Hammersley, executive director of the School + State Finance Project, said the funding could help cash-strapped schools avoid a so-called fiscal cliff in the fall of 2024 when millions of dollars in federal pandemic relief aid are scheduled to expire.

Read the full article at https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/bridgeport-schools-get-millions-proposed-bill-17775341.php