Education stakeholders — including lawmakers, superintendents and municipal leaders — gathered Thursday to call out Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration for a lack of financial investment in K-12 education and to urge state leadership to make it a priority in the upcoming 2024 legislative session.
Hartford Public Schools may face an additional $11.1 million in magnet school tuition costs after Gov. Ned Lamont removed the tuition cap in his proposed budget.
The school district is under a “budget freeze” after the reimbursement percentage of the Excess Cost grant decreased due to the increase in special education services districts provide to students.
Room 2D at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford was standing room only on Thursday afternoon. Hundreds of people had gathered for a press conference, flanked by signs reading “Keep the promise to CT’s students” and “Fairly fund all students.”
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.
Gov. Lamont's plan to redirect funds earmarked for K-12 education to instead support early childhood programs could have a "devastating" effect on Meriden schools, a district already facing deep staffing cuts.