Governor's Proposal Could Mean Significant Funding Increases For Towns

School officials in East Windsor and Windsor Locks were happy to hear the news Wednesday that their communities would receive more money under Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s proposal to increase Education Cost Share funding.

Malloy announced an additional $50 million in ECS funding to schools.  Nearly $40 million will go to newly-established Alliance Districts, made up of the state’s 30 lowest-performing school districts – conditioned upon the districts’ implementation of key education reform strategies.

An additional $4.5 million in competitive funding will be offered to all districts  – with a preference for the 30 Alliance districts, to enable even more ambitious innovations and deeper reforms.

“It is critical that we get to the schools that are really struggling—and do it quickly,” Malloy said in a press release. “We can get good teachers into classrooms, and hire the best superintendents and administrators, but we must address the overarching resources issue and fund the programs that will directly reach the kids who are at a disadvantage because their school is underperforming.  We have held towns harmless, no one is losing ECS funding—which sends a clear signal to our children that we will make the investment and deliver on our promise of high-quality education for every student in Connecticut.”
 
In Malloy’s proposal, East Windsor would receive an additional $168,335, a 3 percent increase. Windsor Locks would receive $252,306 more, a 5.4 percent increase.  According to information released by Malloy’s office Windsor Locks and East Windsor are among the 30 Alliance Districts.

The money would go to the towns with the intention it be spent on the schools, officials said. The ECS increase could be used to lessen the amount of local tax dollars that fund the school budgets, officials said.

Wayne C. Sweeney, Windsor Locks superintendent of schools, said the news was huge to his school district. At more than a quarter million dollars, the increase would be equal to nearly one percent of the district’s budget, Sweeney said.

“It goes to the town, but it should have a positive effect on our request,” Sweeney said.

Sweeney said he was surprised he learned of the increase. He said he will have to do more research on why Windsor Locks is proposed to get that amount.

“I am thrilled to death,” Sweeney said. “I can’t wait to tell everybody.”

Theresa M. Kane, East Windsor Superintendent of Schools, said she is excited about Malloy’s proposal and that it would with providing quality education to the town’s students.

Kane said she was not surprised by the news because she heard Malloy and Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor speak at Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents and Connecticut Association of Boards of Education meetings about their plans to emphasize education this year.

Kane said she will have to look at more information to find out why East Windsor is proposed to get that much of an increase.

While the additional amount of money would be helpful, Kane said the school district is crafting a 2012-13 proposed budget that meets the parameters set by the board of finance that it have level funding.

“This will benefit the town for sure, and us because we are part of the town,” Kane said.