The Connecticut Education Association, the city of Torrington, the towns of Brooklyn, Stratford, and Plainfield, as well as teachers, students, and parents in those municipalities withdrew their lawsuit against the state today. The group was seeking an injunction against the governor’s executive order that cut $557 million in education funding to cities and towns.
“On Tuesday, the governor signed the bipartisan budget into law, ending the draconian education cuts that jeopardized our students’ futures,” said CEA President Sheila Cohen. “With the new budget, millions in education funding will be restored to cities and towns across the state, and a new commission will help secure the equitable distribution of funds in the future.”
Under the executive order, all four municipalities in the lawsuit sustained major cuts. The new budget, however, restores 95 percent of education funding to the majority of cities and towns across the state, including the four municipalities named in the court action.
- Under the executive order, Torrington went from $24.5 million to $4 million, a $20.5 million cut. The new budget provides Torrington with $24.5 million.
- Brooklyn went from $7 million to $4 million, a $3 million cut. Under the new budget, Brooklyn receives $6.6 million.
- Plainfield went from $15.4 million to $9 million, a $6 million cut. The new budget restores Plainfield to $14.6 million.
- Stratford went from $21.5 million to zero, a $21.5 million cut. The new budget provides Stratford with $20.4 million.
The new budget also creates the Connecticut Achievement and Resource Equity in Schools Commission (CARES), which will provide expertise and recommendations regarding the distribution of state education funds to ensure that students in every community have the resources needed to succeed.
“We look forward to working with the CARES Commission members to develop a new ECS plan that provides a fair, reliable, sustainable, and equitable funding source for all students, regardless of where they live,” said Cohen. “Through the Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding (CCJEF) court case and this new commission, we are hopeful that a new funding plan will be in place next year that will ensure our local public schools have the critical resources needed to provide high-quality education to all our students.”
