All Education Cost Sharing (ECS) Funding to the Town of Bethel Has Been Cut; Strongly Urge You Contact Legislators

Report by Paula Antolini
August 18, 2017 4:09PM EDT

 

All Education Cost Sharing (ECS) Funding to the Town of Bethel Has Been Cut; Strongly Urge You Contact Legislators

Message from Bethel Public Schools Superintendent of Schools Christine Carver, Ed.D.:

As we are approaching the coming school year, we have received some devastating news from the Governor’s office today.

He released an executive order cutting all Education Cost Sharing (ECS) funding to the Town of Bethel in the amount of $8,087,732 effective until the legislators approve a budget.

Bethel is one of 85 towns that were reduced to no Education Cost Sharing (ECS) funding. Fifty-four towns will receive reduced funding, and only the 30 most vulnerable school districts will receive their full funding. If the State legislators don’t pass a budget inclusive of adequate education funding, this will have a crippling impact on the Bethel Public Schools, as it represents close to 20% of our operating budget.  It would mean major cuts to all staff, curricular, extracurricular programs and increases to class size. This cut could represent up to 150 staff members losing their jobs.  We urge you to contact your State Legislators immediately to get back to session and approve a budget that supports the education of students in Connecticut.

 

Governor’s Office:  

Governor Malloy – governor.malloy@ct.gov– 860-566-4840

Our Delegation:

Senator Toni Boucher – Toni.Boucher@cga.ct.gov – 800-842-1421

Senator Mike McLachlan – Michael.McLachlan@cga.ct.gov – 203-743-3147

Representative Stephen Harding – Stephen.Harding@cga.ct.gov – 860-240-8700

Representative Will Duff – William.Duff@cga.ct.gov – 860-241-0100

Below are links to the contact information for the Education & Appropriations Committees and key legislators.

Key Legislators – Contact Information.pdf

CT_LegislatureCommitteeAssignments_EMailAddresses.pdf

 

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