The General Assembly began its review of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s new two-year budget Friday with a strong, bipartisan pushback from the Appropriations Committee.
Education Cost Sharing
Posted inEducation, Money, Politics
GOP, Malloy offer plans to restore stalled local aid
Republicans in the state House and Senate and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy both released proposals Tuesday to restore stalled municipal aid that local officials hoped to receive this fiscal year.
Posted inEducation, Money
CT identifies $50 million in mid-year cuts to municipalities
City and town leaders learned Thursday how much less the state will be sending their municipalities for education and construction projects for the fiscal year that ends July 1.
Posted inEducation, Money
Moody’s: School funding reform would boost cities’ credit standing
A major Wall Street credit rating agency weighed in on Connecticut’s school funding crisis this week, saying an overhaul would improve the credit standing of the state’s poorest cities.
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Republicans smell a rat in extra school aid for nine towns
Republican legislative leaders are upset that the budget deal scheduled to be acted on by the legislature this week directs an extra $3.52 million in school grants to nine municipalities represented largely by Democrats.
Posted inEducation, Health, Justice, Money, Politics, Transportation
Nonpartisan analysts: Tentative CT budget wipes away lots of red ink
The tentative plan to close a $1 billion hole in Connecticut’s finances starting July 1 also would wipe away more than 40 percent of the red ink threatening state government after the November elections, nonpartisan fiscal analysts reported Tuesday evening.
Posted inEducation, Money
How does your town fare under the state budget deal?
State funding to help cities and towns operate public schools is hit hard in the budget deal Democratic legislators are set to approve this week. It’s a mixed bag for the other grants towns receive to help cover non-education related expenses. Curious how your city or town fares? Here’s a look.
Posted inEducation, Money
As criticism mounts, Malloy defends education cuts to affluent towns
As sharp criticism built Thursday of its proposal to end state education aid to 28 of the state’s wealthiest towns, the administration of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy released data to show that most of the towns affected have among the lowest mill rates in the state and rely relatively little on state aid.
Posted inMoney, Politics
Bye urges colleagues, Malloy to scale back town aid cuts
The Senate chair of the General Assembly’s budget-writing panel challenged her colleagues and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy on Thursday to ease the municipal aid cuts they are seeking — or watch one budget be rejected after another. Sen. Beth Bye also fears many cities and towns already are making plans to increase property tax rates based on the state budgets proposed over the past week.
Posted inEducation
Democrats’ education cuts fall most heavily on CT’s Gold Coast
Each of the five budgets that Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has proposed since 2012 has shielded wealthy communities from cuts in the education money they receive from the state. That changed Tuesday when he proposed cutting all of the $25.3 million in aid that 28 of the state’s richest communities currently receive through the Education Cost Sharing grant.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Connecticut needs a rational, fair, school funding system
Three weeks ago, in his sixth State of the State Address, Gov. Dannel Malloy laid out his five “budget principles” and called for a “more predictable, more sustainable, and more transparent” Connecticut budget that “prioritizes funding for core services.” Rightfully, one of the core services Malloy listed was public education. However, for Connecticut to prioritize education and achieve the governor’s budgetary goals, the state must fundamentally change the way it funds its public schools.
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, Money, Politics
Behind The Numbers Podcast – Episode 6: Charter schools, state aid and UConn in a lean budget
Connecticut Mirror budget reporter Keith M. Phaneuf and education reporter Jacqueline Rabe Thomas discuss the new $40.3 billion, two-year state budget legislators sent to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, and its impact on every level of education from preschool to colleges and universities.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Fix Connecticut’s broken school funding system
We know that a great education can be life changing for so many students. Looking ahead, we must continue to ensure that we have a funding system that puts a great public education within reach of every child. The economic and civic future of our students, our communities and our state, depends on it.
Posted inMoney
State aid: How much is your town gaining or losing?
Connecticut cities and towns currently receive a little more than $3 billion per year from the state. Explore these maps to see details on how much your town now can expect to receive in the fiscal year that begins July 1.