Educators and officials are facing a new unknown: how the federal government will fund education across the country and in Connecticut for the next fiscal year.
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.
Legislators, school officials, students and parents are calling for the state to use a portion of its surplus to increase funding to schools as the federal coronavirus funding runs out, but legislative leaders warn that this decision may come at the expense of other budgetary requests.
Nearly 200 community members were scheduled to testify before lawmakers Friday, taking advantage of the first chance to comment on a bill that could change how Connecticut school districts are funded.
Nearly 200 residents signed up during a public hearing to speak largely in favor of legislation to boost state support for lower-income school districts.