Legislators maintain they had a solid agreement with Lamont’s administration last year as part of the two-year budget for an additional $150 million for K-12 public education, but that total has not been placed into the latest budget recommendations.
Just eight months after signing a bipartisan budget that made historic and long-overdue investments in K-12 education, Gov. Lamont has proposed cutting more than $60 million from Connecticut’s public schools — breaking a promise his administration made to students, families, and educators.
Thanks to widespread, bipartisan support, next year will see the second-largest investment in K-12 education in Connecticut’s history. Along with increases to numerous grants, an additional $150 million will be delivered to students across the state for the 2024-25 school year.
We are at a critical point for public education in our state. We know we cannot continue with business as usual or return to a pre-COVID “normal” that did not work for a large portion of our state’s students, families, and communities. We must change how we support our public schools, empower educators, and set all students up for success.
The nation’s first report card since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic revealed unprecedented declines in student performance in math and reading, with fourth and eighth grade students last year scoring at the lowest levels in two decades. While every state experienced declines in performance as a result of pandemic-induced learning loss, Connecticut’s results stand out.
So often, when we discuss education funding, we stick to the dollar and cents. The total amount a school receives. The per-pupil spending. But it’s what those dollars do, the doors they open, and the experiences they provide that matter most.