2/22/2019 - First Selectman Asks Top State Officials to Explain Reduction in Trumbull’s Education Aid
First Selectman Asks Top State Officials to Explain Reduction in Trumbull’s Education Aid
On Thursday, February 21, 2019, First Selectman Vicki Tesoro asked Governor Ned Lamont, Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz, and State Treasurer Shawn Wooden to explain why statutory education aid to Trumbull would be cut by more than half a million dollars in the governor’s proposed budget.
In an email exchange that followed a meeting with Lt. Governor Bysiewicz, Tesoro noted that Trumbull’s share of the Education Cost Sharing allocation would be reduced by $655,538, a 24% reduction from last year. At the same time, the overall statewide reduction in ECS funding would be only about 1.2%. Other towns in Fairfield County would see either slight decreases or even increases in some cases.
“Based on my initial review, it appears that Trumbull was disproportionately impacted,” Tesoro said in the email. “I realize we all have to do our fair share to help our state return to sound fiscal footing, however the burden should be fairly apportioned.”
Tesoro also noted that many towns in Trumbull’s District Reference Group—a state classification system that groups school districts based on socioeconomic status, need, and enrollment—are not hit as hard as Trumbull would be in Lamont’s proposal.
Lamont submitted his proposed budget to the state legislature on Wednesday. The $43 billion, two-year proposal also calls for towns to take on a portion of teacher-retirement costs, something the state has long funded alone. Trumbull’s share of that cost would be about $511,000 in the 2019-2020 state budget.
Combined, the loss of ECS revenue and the expense of the teacher-retirement contribution proposal would have a $1.2 million impact on the town’s 2019-2020 budget. “This is a significant new burden for our taxpayers,” Tesoro said.