ACTION ALERT – STATE FUNDING FOR EDUCATION

Closed door budget negotiations are now underway between the legislature and the governor.  There are no more public hearings, so the only way to influence the outcome of these talks is through direct contact with legislative leaders and the governor.  Among the key items being discussed is the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) grant, the largest source of state aid to local public education.  At stake is the best shot we’ve had in years at meaningful reform and real increases in funding.   Three competing ECS proposals have been put forward:

·         The governor’s plan, which generally follows the recommendations of her bipartisan Commission on Education Finance, updates at long last the ECS grant formula and phases in funding over 5 years.  ECS would increase $228 million in 2007-08, another $154 million in 2008-09.  By 2012 the total grant would rise from the current $1.6 billion to $2.7 billion.

·         The Democrats’ ECS plan, embodied in the Appropriations Committee budget, tinkers with the governor’s proposed changes to the formula—most notably setting a lower minimum aid level, which would reduce but by no means eliminate increases to the state’s wealthiest towns.  It makes no attempt to phase in full funding, however, providing a $204 million increase for 2007-08, flat funding for 2008-09.

·         The Republicans’ ECS plan, touted as a compromise, changes the way the formula measures town wealth so that wealthier towns generally receive more and poorer towns less than under the other two proposals.  It increases funding by $154 million for 2007-08, by another $204 million for 2008-09.

The League supports the phase-in of an updated and fully funded ECS grant that will ultimately raise the state’s share of education spending statewide to 50%.  While we could live with the modifications to the formula proposed by the Democrats, we cannot accept their failure to implement increased funding beyond next year.  The Republican proposal is also unacceptable because, by diminishing the wide disparities in wealth that really do exist in this state, it fails to distribute funds in a manner that equitably reflects towns’ relative ability to raise funds from local resources.

With the General Assembly scheduled to adjourn June 6, time is running short and decisions are being made, so please contact the governor and legislative leaders now.  Ask them to negotiate a budget for the next biennium that truly invests long term in educational equity and adequacy for Connecticut, a budget that includes funding for the first two years of the phase-in of an updated and fully funded Education Cost Sharing grant.

Governor M. Jodi Rell <Governor.Rell@po.state.ct.us>, 800-406-1527

House Speaker James Amann <Jim.Amann@cga.ct.gov>, 800-842-1902

House Majority Leader Christopher Donovan <Christopher.Donovan@cga.ct.gov>, 800-842-1902

House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero <Lawrence.Cafero@housegop.ct.gov>, 800-842-1423842-1423

Senate President Pro Tem Donald Williams <Williams@senatedems.ct.gov>, 800-842-1420

Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney <Looney@senatedems.ct.gov>, 800-842-1420

Senate Republican Leader Louis Deluca <Louis.Deluca@cga.ct.gov>, 860-240-8800

And please forward this to everyone you know who’s interested in the quality of education in Connecticut!

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