Whether it’s the loss of a favorite teacher, cuts to services like tutoring or mental health support, or even the complete shutdown of their school, almost every public school student in Connecticut will feel some type of impact from the expiration of federal pandemic relief funding.
The way Connecticut funds education is broken. For decades, where a student lives and where they go to school have determined the education funding they receive, and limited the opportunities they have for success in and out of the classroom. This approach has resulted in severe funding inequities, created one of the largest opportunity gaps in the country, and produced an unjust system where thousands of Connecticut students are deprived of the resources and services they need. Connecticut students deserve better.
Gov. Ned Lamont has released budget revisions that he said amounted to a $402.5-million investment in schools, but not all are pleased with the changes. The Connecticut General Assembly will hear public testimony Thursday afternoon on the schools budget, but education groups and officials are pointing to what they say are omissions or problems with the governor’s proposal.
Connecticut’s spending on state employee pay has grown in recent years – reaching a record high of about $4.9 billion each of the past two years, according to an analysis of data from the state Comptroller’s office.