HARTFORD – State Senator Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) joined over a hundred state legislators, religious leaders and education advocates today to call for the passage of House Bill 5003, which would fully and equitably fund all K-12 Connecticut school students for the first time and would culminate work that Sen. Duff began back in 2017 on creating a more equitable school funding formula in the state.
Beginning with the 2024-25 school year, the bill would fully fund the Connecticut’s Education Cost Sharing (ECS) grant to municipalities; expand need-based funding to charter, magnet, and other public schools of choice; and allow school districts to properly address the ongoing effects of the pandemic on student learning and mental health after federal COVID-relief funds run out.
“We can no longer afford to, or wait to, leave kids behind in any community. Only through a fully funded state education cost sharing formula can we achieve that,” Sen. Duff said. “In 2017 we had a bipartisan budget, part of which was a brand-new education cost sharing formula. The existing formula wasn’t serving our kids well. But this new formula wasn’t going to be fully phased-in until after 10 years – not until 2028. Today we’re standing here demanding that we fully fund the ECS formula this year and get it done. Together with the leadership of Senate President Martin Looney, Education Committee Co-Chair Senator Doug McCrory, and our Senate Bill 1 – which will create stronger oversight on how schools spend state funds – we can get this across the finish line.”
On Friday, nearly 200 advocates testified in support of H.B. 5003 during a joint public hearing of the Education and Appropriations Committees; hundreds more submitted written testimony urging the legislature to pass the bill.
The 2023 legislative session will conclude on June 7.
