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House Dems Plan Would Restore $8M State Education Cost Funds to North Branford

A state budget plan proposed this week by the House Democrats would shield some towns, including North Branford, from having next year's Educational Cost Sharing (ECS) cut drastically, as proposed on August 18 under a revised Executive Order Resource Allocation Plan from Governor Dannel P. Malloy.

In North Branford's case, the plan would bring back over $7 million in ECS funding that would be lost under the Governor's proposal. Under the Governor's plan, North Branford, which received $8,076,776 in 2017, would lose over $7 million and only receive $807,678 in 2018. Under the House Democrat's plan, North Branford would receive $8,077,711 in ECS for fiscal year 2018.

To generate revenue, the House Dem's plan includes calls for increasing the state's sales tax 6.35 to 6.85 percent, adding in a one percent hotel and restaurant billing surcharge, and reducing tax credits for middle-class and working poor families. 

The Governor's plan included cutting FY 2018 ECS distributions to zero in well-off communities and reducing funding drastically in others, including North Branford; then redistributing the money to the state's 30 most impoverished school districts.

While the proposed FY 2018 House Democratic ECS re-distribution plan still cuts all ECS aid to 25 municipalities and reduces ECS aid in another 25 school district; it protects North Branford due to several factors. State Representative Sean Scanlon (D, District 98), who represents neighboring Branford, explained the House Democrat's plan uses a specific formula to determine how much ECS funding each town should receive in FY 2018.

"We used five factors -- average cost to educate a student, number of free and reduced lunch students, number of ELL [English Language Learner] students, property wealth and median household income," said Scanlon.

Reporter's Note: The House Democrats plan was developed during caucusing this week. The House Republicans plan, also being caucused this week, is anticpated to be announced soon.