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.
CTNewsJunkie: Education Advocates: Accelerating ECS Funding Will Help Address Educational Inequities
Education advocates and state officials said they want the Connecticut legislature to address educational disparities experienced by the state’s less affluent school districts by supporting legislation that will accelerate increases in the state’s Education Cost Sharing (ECS) grants.
A bill currently being considered by the Connecticut General Assembly would revamp how the state determines its education funding distribution, which could potentially mean an additional $2.6 million for Middletown schools.
The legislature is now considering a bill that would leverage the state’s strong fiscal health to fully fund the formula, known as education cost sharing, in an effort to accelerate aid for underfunded districts and streamline the process by which need is calculated.
Parents and city officials gave public testimony this week to support legislation that would fully fund school districts with state money when federal COVID relief funds expire.
The event this week featured a presentation by Erika Haynes, director of community engagement for the School and State Finance Project, an organization looking to “increase awareness about Connecticut’s education finance system and the need for an equitable, unified funding formula that treats all students fairly and strengthens schools and communities."