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WSHU: Bridgeport schools poised for more state education funding under proposal

 -  Joseph D'Alessandro, WSHU

Connecticut legislators proposed a bill that would deliver $13.6 million in early aid to Bridgeport public schools for the 2024-25 school year.

Governor Ned Lamont’s proposed two-year, $50.5 billion budget would increase state funding of schools $45.6 million next year, and about $90.9 million more in 2025, compared to this year, according to an analysis from the School + State Finance Project, a Hamden-based nonprofit that collaborates with the state and local communities to improve students’ education.

“School districts are facing a fiscal cliff,” said Michael Morton, the project’s deputy executive director for communications & operations. “We have a dire situation on our hands with students who are struggling to recover from the pandemic’s impacts.”

The bill proposes to fully fund the state Education Cost Sharing program in 2025 — three years ahead of schedule — to offset the decline in federal COVID-19 relief.