A broad coalition of advocates and local officials is prepared to push for large increases in K-12 education funding during the coming legislative session, even as Gov. Ned Lamont remains reluctant to commit to major new investments.
At a news conference Thursday at New Haven's Hillhouse High School, one speaker after another argued Connecticut's public schools, particularly in poorer districts, need an infusion of state money to pay teachers, maintain programs and bolster special education.
"The reality is our state as a whole is not doing enough," New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker said. "Much of today is about calling on the state, which has already done a lot for our kids, to do significantly more."
[...]
Many of the speakers Thursday cited a recent report from the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities that proposed a broad overhaul of education and social services in the state to address what it described as a crisis of disconnected youth.
One of the report's key planks was at more than $500 million in additional funding for the state's education cost sharing program, which is designed to ensure K-12 funds are distributed equitably. Elicker, who was part of the commission that prepared the report, noted that New Haven spends less per-pupil on education than neighboring districts, despite having more high-need students.
[...]
The news conference Thursday was organized by the School and State Finance Project, which advocates for more equitable education funding in Connecticut. Lisa Hammersley, the group's executive director, said she hoped state lawmakers were listening.
"We are united today to urge policymakers to take action, to invest in our state's future and to address the crisis of disconnected and at-risk youth impacting every corner of the state," she said. "And to equitably and adequately fund Connecticut's most important resource: its students."