MAYOR JUSTIN ELICKER SUBMITS TESTIMONY TO STATE LEGISLATURE IN SUPPORT OF H.B. 5003, AN ACT CONCERNING EDUCATION FUNDING IN CONNECTICUT, AND CALLS FOR EQUITABLE FUNDING FOR NEW HAVEN AND OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS SUPPORTING LARGER POPULATIONS OF HIGH-NEEDS STUDENTS

Elicker: “In New Haven, we should be spending much more on our students, who are facing more challenges and have more needs, than our wealthy suburban counterparts.”

NEW HAVEN, CT – Today, New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker submitted testimony to the Connecticut General Assembly’s Education and Appropriations Committees in support of H.B. 5003, An Act Concerning Education Funding in Connecticut, and also urged legislators to more equitably fund school districts like New Haven that serve a larger percentage of high-needs students, including low-income students and English Language Learners.

H.B. 5003, among other things, proposes to accelerate the phase-in of the state’s Education Cost Sharing (ECS) grants to municipalities from FY 2028 to FY 2025, providing long overdue support for underfunded districts. The legislation also proposes extending the ECS formula’s funding weights for high-needs students to also include high-needs students that attend public schools of choice, bringing the state closer to a student-centered funding model.

While the exact amount from the proposed legislation is still to be determined, if passed, it would represent millions of dollars in additional funding for New Haven public school students. It is estimated that accelerating the phase-in of ECS grant alone would represent an additional $3.7 million per year for New Haven students.

Mayor Elicker’s testimony, which was submitted for today’s joint public hearing on the bill, can be found here.