Education Campaign
End of Session Update
On June 7, 2023 the CT legislature passed H.B. 5003 with an additional $150 million going to educational funding through the Educational Cost Sharing formula. Furthermore, this formula will be fully funded in fiscal year 2025 for the first time in Connecticut’s history. Instead of relying on a town’s resources to fund it’s schools, the ECS formula considers a student’s learning abilities and life circumstances to more equitably disperse funds.
Great job GHIAA leaders!
Funding Gap
Connecticut takes pride in the academic strength of our schools and the opportunities they provide to children. However, the promise of our educational system rings hollow for many of our students. The state has a shocking Racial Funding Gap.
Connecticut spends $713 million dollars more on districts that serve majority white students than it does on districts that serve majority students of color and districts that are considered diverse. That’s nearly three-quarters of a billion more dollars being spent in districts that comprise just 30% of the total enrollment.
It may surprise you to learn that the student population in Connecticut is evenly split between white students and students of color. Yet schools are still segregated, with most students of color concentrated in under 15 school districts. GHIAA had racism declared a public health crisis, and systemic racism is killing our children’s opportunities.
The Education Cost Sharing Formula was designed to increase equity between school districts, but it hasn’t been fully funded since its creation. Decades of disinvestment in schools serving students of color have left districts struggling to meet basic budgets needed to function.
On October 23, 2022, at a public assembly with our sister organization CONECT (Congregations Organized for a New Connecticut) and FaithActs for Education, Governor Lamont committed to lead the charge in fairly and fully funding our school systems with at least $250-275 million new dollars. GHIAA is joining this fight to ensure that all students have opportunities to thrive.
On October 23, 2022, at a public assembly with our sister organization CONECT (Congregations Organized for a New Connecticut) and FaithActs for Education, Governor Lamont committed to lead the charge in fairly and fully funding our school systems with at least $250-275 million new dollars. GHIAA is joining this fight to ensure that all students have opportunities to thrive.
Legislative Update
As of March 14, 2023
At the beginning of February over 500 Connecticut residents testified in front of the Education Committee in support of HB 5003: An Act Concerning Education Funding in Connecticut. This bill calls for the state to fully fund the Educational Cost Sharing formula with an additional $275 million. ECS was signed into law in 1989 with bipartisan support but has never been fully funded.
The Education Committee has until March 27 to vote this bill out of committee.