Connecticut Budget Gridlock Leaves School Funding in Limbo
August 20 2017 - 6:03PM
Dow Jones News
By Joseph De Avila
Connecticut's budget impasse has left schools in limbo, forcing
districts to put hiring decisions on hold and making others delay
the start of school.
An executive order signed by Gov. Dannel Malloy, a Democrat, has
funded state operations since the new fiscal year began July 1. The
state Legislature failed to pass a budget before the end of the
last fiscal year for the first time since 2009, and there is still
no clear indication of when an agreement will be reached to close
the state's $3.5 billion deficit.
The lack of a state spending plan has created uncertainty for
towns and schools districts because they don't know how much money
to expect from Connecticut.
Denise Clemons, superintendent of schools in Torrington, Conn.,
said her district had to delay the start of school by three days to
open on Sept. 5 because the state budget crunch caused cash flow
problems for the town.
"It's a travesty," said Ms. Clemons, who runs a district with
about 4,000 students.
Mr. Malloy signed a revised executive order on Friday that
prioritizes funding for the Connecticut's lowest performing school
districts. That executive order resulted in a $20 million cut for
Torrington schools, which has an overall annual budget of about $74
million.
The Legislature could restore the funding for Torrington and
other school districts when it passes a budget. But for now, Ms.
Clemons said the uncertainty of that has created a stressful
situation for her district.
"I can't even describe the feeling of angst that a lot of people
are having right now," she said.
Mr. Malloy on Friday defended his decision to prioritize funding
for the state's lowest-performing school districts and said those
students need the most help. The governor said he would have
preferred if the Legislature had passed a stop-gap budget he
proposed that would have provided more across-the-board school
funding.
"This is far from optimal," Mr. Malloy said during a news
conference "This is something that I've done my best to avoid."
Fran Rabinowitz, executive director of the Connecticut
Association of Public School Superintendents, said she surveyed 30
districts in rural, suburban and urban areas of the state. In those
districts, 67 jobs already have been cut and another 372 potential
new positions are on hold because of the budget delay.
"In August, not knowing as a district what you will receive
causes tremendous anxiety," he said.
Nick Mercier, president of the board of education for New
Britain, Conn., schools, said his district froze discretionary
spending and professional development and reduced expenses by
filling open positions with teachers at the start of their careers
rather than more experienced teachers with higher salaries.
Mr. Malloy's executive order signed Friday keeps state funding
flat for the district with about 10,000 students at about $86
million for a total school annual budget of about $160 million. The
district had expected an $8 million increase for the school
year.
Still, Mr. Mercier said the district isn't counting on that $86
million in state funding until the Legislature passes its spending
plan.
"We are treating it as if we don't know when the next check is
coming from the state or what that check is going to look like," he
said.
Mark Benigni, superintendent of schools in Meriden, was among
the districts that received the same money from the state's main
education funding program as last year under Connecticut's
executive order, which provides about $60 million in an overall
budget of $110 million. Mr. Malloy's executive order, however, cut
about $1.5 million in other grants, which could fund after school
and tutoring programs among other initiatives.
Now, Mr. Benigni said he is nervously watching the calendar as
October approaches. If the state hasn't passed a budget by then, he
would have to consider cutting positions, he said. "We won't
breathe easy till we know the budget is in place," he added.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
August 20, 2017 17:48 ET (21:48 GMT)
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