New charter schools to cost school districts millions

Governor's plan would force towns to send local tax dollars out of district

Although the governor's proposals provide long-awaited increases in state funding for local schools, they unfortunately give with one hand, while taking with the other.

CEA Legislative Coordinator Ray Rossomando told the Education Committee, "The proposals do this by incorporating another 'money follows the child' proposal that would require towns to send local tax dollars to charter schools. The net impact of this provision would be to divert $6.5 million of their local tax dollars."

The impact of this provision is significant. Districts which send students to charter schools would be required to send $1,000 per student of their local tax dollars outside of the district.

Rossomando said, "For districts like Bridgeport and New Haven, which are each underfunded by over $20 million, the governor's proposal would redirect more than $1.6 million dollars." Rossomando's CEA testimony to the Education Committee on Senate Bill 24.

CEA supports funding proposals that lift all boats (including charter, magnet, and local neighborhood schools) equitably. However, such "money follows the child" proposals that redirect local tax dollars risk doing irreversible harm to students in classrooms already starved for adequate resources. And, they simply run contrary to the state's obligation to equalize education funding based on each town's ability to pay.

Contact your legislators, especially if they are on the Education Committee, and ask them to eliminate proposals in the governor's education bill that would shift funding away from local public schools unfairly.

If your legislator is not a member of the Education Committee (click here for a list), urge him/her to discuss your concerns with Education Committee members.

Call or email your state senator and state representative using the link and phone numbers below.

www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/CGAFindLeg.asp
Senate Democrats 1-800-842-1420 House Democrats 1-800-842-1902	Senate Republicans 1-800-842-1421 House Republicans 1-800-842-1423

The governor, business-backed groups, and other privately funded organizations are lobbying legislators to act on their behalf. We need to be persistent and unwavering in our commitment to ensure education reform gets done right.