▶▶ Plan for education calls for regionalization, promised state aid

HARTFORD — Gov. Ned Lamont told the General Assembly his budget plan — which encourages school district regionalization, asks municipalities to pick up more teacher retirement costs and honors state aid levels promised last year — prioritizes education.

Those listening to the freshman governor’s first fiscal address Wednesday had mixed reactions.

“I think it is a good starting point,” state Rep. Steve Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport, said, listening to how the plan impacts urban areas such as his. “I am glad to hear he is willing to work collaboratively with the legislature.”

State Minority Leader Themis Klarides, R-Derby, on the other hand, called Lamont’s overall plan inconsistent and fraught with ways to get wealthier communities to pay more.

“He says he doesn’t want to hurt municipal aid but that is not accurate,” Klarides said. “If towns and cities have to pay more for teacher retirement, where are they going to get it from? They are likely to raise property taxes.”

Beyond restructuring teacher pensions and shifting some of the burden to municipalities, the budget plan announced Wednesday by Lamont would increase the state’s Education Cost Sharing formula by $17.7 million in the first year of the biennium and $39.4 million in the second year.

At first glance it appears the plan sticks to the script drawn up by the legislature last year. In the case of Bridgeport, for instance, Stafstrom said the state’s $182.4 million contribution to the Bridgeport Public Schools bottom line would increase to $184.7 million in the first year of the budget and to $187.3 million in year two.

Also seeing increases of varying degrees would be Ansonia, Danbury, Derby, Fairfield, New Haven, Seymour, Shelton, Stamford and Stratford.

The contribution to New Haven would be $155.4 million in the first year of the budget and $157.8 million in the second year. In West Haven, the ECS grant would be $45.8 million in the first year and and $47.4 million in the second. In neighboring towns, such as East Haven, the grant would stay at $19.6 million in both years, and in Orange, the grant would be $1.2 million in the first year, and drop to $917,660 in the second year.

The distribution could change based on a formula that shifts the definition of poor children and pays closer attention to student enrollment than in years past.

“While some towns that are losing student population will receive a little less, other towns with growing populations and more kids in need will see more investment,” Lamont said.

And while honoring the formula, Melissa McCaw, Lamont’s budget director, said there will be a proposal to accelerate the phase-down in education grants to wealthier communities.

Perhaps offsetting that, some municipalities would be allowed to relax minimum budget requirements — its share of school funding costs — when enrollment drops, schools close or state aid for education declines.

Municipalities in poorer districts, such as Bridgeport, would continue to provide as much funding one year as they did the last.