Lamont Proposes School Grant Increase for New Britain

As Governor Ned Lamont (D-CT) offered his first budget to the state legislature, he proposed that New Britain receive $7.6 million more in education aid over the next two years.

While Lamont’s proposed budget would increase Education Cost Sharing (ECS) grants a modest 1.95% statewide, New Britain was one of a small number of, “Alliance Districts,” that would receive extra funding under the Governor’s proposal.

“Under our budget proposal,” Lamont said, in his budget address to the legislature, “we are maintaining our commitment to education. While some towns that are losing student population will receive a little less, other towns with growing populations and more kids in need will see more investment.”

Under Lamont’s proposal, New Britain would receive an increase of $3,620,331 in Education Cost Sharing grants in the budget year that begins July 1, 2019. That would represent a 4.11% increase, bringing New Britain’s total state ECS funding to $91,772,904.

The Governor proposes that New Britain then receive an additional $3,988,144 in state ECS schools funding in the second year of his two-year budget proposal. That would increase New Britain’s state ECS grant by an additional 4.35%, bringing the two year increase to a $7,608,475, 8.63% increase.

Lamont also said his budget asks cities and towns to contribute part of the cost of teacher’s pensions, saying, “many of our school districts have chosen to pay their teachers much more than the state median. It’s a great investment for their community. But it’s an investment that impacts the state’s overall pension cost.”

But New Britain’s contribution toward the teachers’ pensions would be 0.37% of the statewide total, amounting to $89,533 for the first year of the two-year budget and $184,894 in the second year.

Overall, the Governor’s budget proposal would increase state formula grants to New Britain by $3,326,713 for the budget year beginning July 1, 2019 and by another $3,880,499 for the following year. That would bring New Britain’s total state formula aid to $110,294,924.

Proposed State Grants for New Britain

In addition to his education funding proposal, Lamont also said he is proposing increasing diversity among teachers, saying, “One big priority for me: recruiting more teachers to our toughest school districts, reaching out to more teachers of color, and more male teachers.”

“We do this,” the Governor said, “by being bolder on the incentives we provide – such as tuition reimbursement and down payment assistance programs. Our children benefit from role models and mentors they can look up to. This is one more step to closing the achievement gap.”

Increases in the amount of state education grants allows for New Britain’s schools to receive additional funding, separate from the school funding allocated by the city from local resources.

The $3.6 million increase in state funding proposed by Lamont would partially cover the increase in the local education budget of $5,010,625 proposed by the New Britain Board of Education for the upcoming budget year.

But, at the recent Town Hall Meeting on education hosted by the NAACP New Britain Branch and the Black Democratic Club of New Britain, schools Superintendent Nancy Sarra said that it would take an additional $30 million per year of funding to provide an equitable education for New Britain students.

The final budget amount allocated to local schools is decided in the city budget. Republican Mayor Erin Stewart has until early April to issue her City Budget plan.