Under Full Dem Control, Connecticut’s Budget Crisis Worsens, Causing Major Cuts To Education

Connecticut public schools are reeling in the wake of Failed Democrat Governor Dan Malloy’s announcement on Friday of massive education cuts to schools due to the state’s endless budget crisis. With Malloy and his Democrats enablers’ new spending scheme, 54 schools will see reduced aid and 85 will receive no aid at all from the state government. Educators interviewed by the Wall Street Journal call the situation a “travesty,” causing an indescribable “feeling of angst” among Connecticut teachers and administrators as schools are forced to cut teaching positions and put even more potential new positions on hold in response. Connecticut students continue to pay the price for the disastrous management from Dan Malloy and his top enablers, Nancy Wyman and Kevin Lembo.

The Wall Street Journal reports:

“Mr. Malloy signed a revised executive order on Friday that prioritizes funding for the Connecticut’s lowest performing school districts. That executive order resulted in a $20 million cut for Torrington schools, which has an overall annual budget of about $74 million…

Fran Rabinowitz, executive director of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents, said she surveyed 30 districts in rural, suburban and urban areas of the state. In those districts, 67 jobs already have been cut and another 372 potential new positions are on hold because of the budget delay.

‘In August, not knowing as a district what you will receive causes tremendous anxiety,’ he said.

Nick Mercier, president of the board of education for New Britain, Conn., schools, said his district froze discretionary spending and professional development and reduced expenses by filling open positions with teachers at the start of their careers rather than more experienced teachers with higher salaries.

Mr. Malloy’s executive order signed Friday keeps state funding flat for the district with about 10,000 students at about $86 million for a total school annual budget of about $160 million. The district had expected an $8 million increase for the school year.

Still, Mr. Mercier said the district isn’t counting on that $86 million in state funding until the Legislature passes its spending plan.

“We are treating it as if we don’t know when the next check is coming from the state or what that check is going to look like,” he said.

Mark Benigni, superintendent of schools in Meriden, was among the districts that received the same money from the state’s main education funding program as last year under Connecticut’s executive order, which provides about $60 million in an overall budget of $110 million. Mr. Malloy’s executive order, however, cut about $1.5 million in other grants, which could fund after school and tutoring programs among other initiatives.

Now, Mr. Benigni said he is nervously watching the calendar as October approaches. If the state hasn’t passed a budget by then, he would have to consider cutting positions, he said. ‘We won’t breathe easy till we know the budget is in place’ he added.”