State Funding for Education to be Big Topic in Hartford – 1/26/2011

Posted by Bob on January 26, 2011 under Daily Blogs | Be the First to Comment

As Governor Malloy and the Connecticut General Assembly begin the significant challenge of addressing our state’s budget deficit, the amount of state funding allocated to municipalities for education will undoubtedly be a topic of discussion.  During last year’s session, some suggested that Connecticut reduce its Educational Cost Sharing (“ECS”) funding commitment to cities and towns as a way to lower state spending.

Naugatuck received TWENTY NINE MILLION TWO HUNDRED ELEVEN THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED ONE and 00/100THS ($29,211,401.00) DOLLARS from ECS funds for the 2010-2011 fiscal year.  That amount was unchanged from 2009-2010.  That figure includes, however, approximately FOUR MILLION ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND and 00/100THS ($4,100,000.00) DOLLARS of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (“ARRA”), or stimulus dollars, from the federal government.  ARRA funds were allocated to states to prevent significant cuts to education resulting from the recession.  Connecticut simply reduced its state funding for ECS by an amount equivalent to the ARRA dollars received.  Unfortunately those funds will not be available for the 2011-2012 fiscal year, and it is anticipated that the subject of ECS funding will again generate significant debate.

The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (“CCM”) just issued of a series of recommendations on the subject which will be submitted to the Department of Education.  The document can be viewed here.

Locally, the Joint Boards of Finance and Mayor and Burgesses (“Joint Boards”) will begin the budget process for 2011-2012 in a couple weeks.  Even a small cut in ECS funding would have devastating consequences for Naugatuck’s budget.