Rep. Bobby Sanchez (D-25) says that he is pressing for additional Educational Cost Sharing Grant funding for New Britain schools in the state budget.
“I was surprised with the budget the Governor submitted last week,” Rep. Sanchez said, “particularly his flat funding of ECS.”
The Educational Cost Sharing Grant (ECS) is the primary state grant that supplements local city funding for local schools. “This is not the time to flat fund education,” said Rep. Sanchez.
Rep. Sanchez, who is Chair of the state legislature’s Education Committee, says that Gov. Lamont’s budget delays by two years an important change that is phasing up the level of Educational Cost Sharing Grant funding that New Britain receives.
According to the nonpartisan legislative Office of Fiscal Analysis, state ECS grant funding to New Britain has been increased by $8,146,298 over the most recent two budget years.
Rep. Sanchez, who has been credited with championing that increase in state education funding to New Britain, says he is concerned about a delay in the planned increase in state ECS funding to New Britain schools.
“We have seen what this pandemic has done to our children and the truth is the inequities have always been there,” said Rep. Sanchez, adding,
We need to focus on how we can make our education system in Connecticut more equitable and also focus on social emotional learning. Children of color in our cities continue to pay the price and we can not continue down that path. No child should be left behind.
While the state budget proposed by Gov. Ned Lamont (D-CT) would pass on $22,902,450 in federal “ESSER II” stimulus funding to New Britain to address the educational challenges because of the COVID-19 crisis, Rep. Sanchez cautioned that, “these funds come with federal guidance on what it can be used on and the funds are only available until 2022.” He noted that these COVID-19 relief funds cannot effectively replace regular funding allocated to schools.
Rep. Sanchez also noted that, “Connecticut has also received an increase for ‘Care for Kids’ and early childhood education.” He has said that he is pressing for more funding for early childhood education.
Rep. Sanchez notes that there are many good things proposed in Gov. Lamont’s budget, saying that, “I’m looking forward to working with the Governor to ensure we do the right thing moving forward.”
“We have our work cut out,” Rep. Sanchez said, “and I’m looking forward to the work that has to be done for our children and the people of our city and state.”
The state legislature’s 2021 session continues to June 9th. The state budget is typically approved by the legislature prior to that date. The budget approved this year is to take effect for the two years beginning on July 1st.
