Schools

Legislators Hear Board of Education Concerns

Answer questions about ECS numbers, mandates, Open Choice

Farmington’s state legislators joined the Board of Education meeting Monday night, getting a peek at the work that’s being done in town and listening to the concerns the board has about what’s going on at the Capitol.

Sen. Beth Bye (D-5), Rep. Brian Becker, who represents Farmington, Avon and West Hartford, and Farmington’s Rep. William Wadsworth talked with the board about Farmington’s seemingly small cut of Education Cost Sharing funds, unfunded mandates and proposed changes to the Open Choice Program.

Wadsworth, who sits on the appropriations committee, went through some of the bills concerning education that are currently being considered. With state grants flat-funded and new revenue sources like proposed sales, conveyance and hotel taxes added in, the net effect to the town should be zero, he said.

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“I represent four towns,” Bye said, “and only one was a loser when you count in the taxes. But for the most part, what I’m finding is towns in general planned on taking a big hit because of the lack of ARRA funding…” She said the governor’s budget has spared towns the 10 percent cuts made throughout other state expenditures.

Becker said he’s following an energy bill that would create an inventory of state and municipal buildings, including schools, which could be retrofitted to save energy. The projects would be bonded at the state level and repaid out of a percentage of the energy savings, ultimately creating green jobs, he said.

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The board’s concern focused mainly around the formula for Education Cost Sharing, a state grant designed nearly 40 years ago to try to even out educational opportunity. The amount a town gets is based on three factors: the number of students, the cost per pupil to educate each student and the town’s wealth. During the budget process, residents and officials have lamented that Farmington receives as little money as Greenwich, well below what Avon, Simsbury and Glastonbury receive.

“It’s tweaked all the time but it’s a very political process,” Bye said, adding that a commission was looking into arranging a more equitable distribution. “It’s a huge problem and the deal is trying to get help for towns like Farmington that people don’t have sympathy for - but should because you’ve been underfunded for years.”

Not much could be done before the budget is approved, Bye said. After that, she said she’d do what she could to increase Farmington’s share.

The legislators and board touched on increased demands around preschool, high school reform and bullying mandates, which Bye said would either be kept to a minimum impact to towns or are far from being approved.

The group asked about proposed changes to Project Open Choice, which brings Hartford students into suburban schools in an attempt to promote desegregation. Currently Farmington welcomes Open Choice students, but receives only $2,500 per student, while the district pays $4,000 in tuition for a student attending another school.

Gov. Dannel Malloy has proposed meeting more demanding Sheff vs. O’Neil goals by raising the compensation schools receive for accepting more Open Choice students.

Bye said she has encouraged the education commissioner to take into account the size of the district, not just the number of students accepted, when determining the compensation.

Bye also said changes to the ‘last in, first out’ rule will most likely take the path of teacher evaluation reform.

The board members left the legislators with a list of bills they are concerned about. Bye, Becker and Wadsworth welcomed them to keep in touch.


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