The leaders of 26 Executive Branch agencies have informed Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s budget office of significant cuts they will be making to meet major savings targets in the new state budget. They also have said that no state employees need to be laid off beyond those already announced.
Early Childhood Education
Posted inEducation, Politics
State official says federal policy changes cut 6,100 from subsidized day care
WASHINGTON — The move to improve a child care subsidy program that helps low-and-moderate income families has also made it more expensive and forced Connecticut to cut 6,100 children from the rolls, a state official told a Senate panel Wednesday.
Posted inEducation, Money
State says thousands of children to lose day care subsidies
Updated at 1:50 p.m. Thursday
Thousands of children from low-income families will soon lose the state subsidy that helps them pay for daycare or preschool so their parents can work, the state Office of Early Childcare estimated Wednesday.
Posted inEducation, Health, Money, Politics, Transportation
House sends lean, overdue CT budget to Malloy’s desk
Updated at 11:08 p.m.
The Democrat-controlled House voted 74-70 to adopt a $19.76 billion budget that closes a nearly $1 billion hole in the 2016-17 fiscal year without raising taxes or tapping Connecticut’s modest emergency reserve. Eight Democrats joined with all 62 Republicans present to oppose the measure.
Posted inEducation, Energy & Environment, Health, Justice, Money, Politics, Transportation
Measure strips $1B in bonded projects off of CT’s credit card
The Senate voted late Thursday rebalance Connecticut’s credit card in the face of shrinking tax revenues, canceling or delaying about $1 billion in financing for a wide array of projects and programs, and to authorize $380 for municipal school construction, down significantly from recent years.
Posted inEducation, Energy & Environment, Health, Justice, Money, Politics, Transportation
CT’s maxed-out credit card takes its toll on many projects
The General Assembly is expected to vote before it adjourns May 4 on a plan that would cancel more than $1.1 billion in financing earmarked for an enormous array of purposes in both the public and private sectors, including renovating the leaking, flaking dome of UConn’s Gampel Pavilion.
Posted inEducation, Health, Money, Politics, Transportation
Budget plan offers painful cuts but remains out of balance
Updated at 5:18 p.m.
The legislature’s Appropriations Committee adopted a new $19.9 billion budget plan Wednesday, that Democratic leaders insisted restores fairness to a fiscal system that has cut too heavily from social services, health care and education – even though the overall plan is out of balance. Republicans pronounced it a failure.
Posted inEducation, Health, Money, Politics
Malloy orders more cuts as lawmakers vow to close deficit by April 1
While legislators committed Wednesday to close a $220 million hole in state finances by March 31, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy ordered $79 million in emergency cuts, two-thirds of which hit social service agencies and education.
Posted inEducation, Health, Money
GOP offers cuts, furloughs to close deficit, restore hospital funds
Updated at 5 p.m.
House and Senate Republicans would furlough all state workers for two days, reduce legislators’ pay, eliminate posts in Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s administration and reduce spending for education, social services and other programs to balance state finances by June 30.
Posted inEducation, Money, Politics
Malloy: Increase charter school, cut neighborhood school funding
Charter schools have escaped Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s budget axe and are slated for a $9.3 million boost in his proposed state budget. But the Democratic governor wants a $52.9 million cut on funding for special education, after-school programs, reading tutors and other services in low-performing public schools across the state.
Posted inEducation
CT facing at least one funding cut in new federal education law
Funding under the new law is a mixed bag for Connecticut, but one change will cost the state millions of dollars that currently help low-achieving schools hire highly qualified teachers and provide professional development.
Posted inEducation
School funding trial will look at preschool, too
Hartford Superior Court Judge Thomas Moukawsher on Thursday provided a key victory to a coalition suing the state when he rejected the state’s request to exclude evidence related to preschool from a trial that will determine whether the state is spending enough on education.
Posted inEducation
Put off kindergarten a year? Officials want to end ‘redshirting’
While many parents hope an extra year of preschool and development will mean their children are better prepared for school or ahead of their classmates when they start kindergarten, state officials at the Office of Early Childhood want to outlaw the practice.
Posted inEducation
Universal preschool: Reality falling far short of vision
An ambitious state plan to assure every child access to a high-quality preschool is rolling out far short of what was envisioned because of fiscal realities facing the state and school districts.
Posted inEducation
Higher education cut, local school aid flat in Malloy budget
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s budget proposal cuts support for the state’s public colleges and universities, provides level funding for state aid to school districts, offers financial aid to undocumented students, and would fund four new charter schools.