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.
Lamont also could receive pushback regarding municipal aid — both from his fellow Democrats in the General Assembly as well as from cities and towns.
The state legislature’s Appropriations and Education Committees heard hours of testimony on Friday regarding Proposed House Bill 5003, a bill that would accelerate a phased overhaul of school funding so that high-poverty and English language learning districts receive more state funding per student.
Friday, a large coalition of lawmakers, advocates and parents gathered at the Legislative Office Building to call on the state legislature to fund schools immediately. They pushed a new bill to increase funding for the state’s public schools.
Students and school leaders urged lawmakers Friday to spend an extra quarter billion dollars on schools. Currently, that increase is scheduled to happen gradually over the next five years.
Towns and cities that past education funding formulas shortchanged are backing legislation to speed up the changeover to a new funding method that is expected to direct nearly $300 million more to them.