Democratic and Republican lawmakers, as well as students, educators, advocates and community leaders, united Thursday against a proposal from Gov. Ned Lamont to redirect money earmarked for K-12 education.
In a packed hearing room at the legislative office building, a broad coalition spoke in favor of maintaining funds for magnet school tuition, whose cost would otherwise fall to local districts.
"We know we have an academic and achievement gap problem in the state," said Sen. Doug McCrory, D-Hartford, who co-chairs the legislature's Education Committee. "And that problem will not be solved by taking the money away that these schools need to properly educate their children."