Granby Education Update

GRANBY – On Wednesday evening State Rep. Mark Anderson (R-Granby) was joined by his Senatorial colleagues, Sens. Lisa Seminara (R-Avon) and Kissel (R-Enfield) to provide a legislative update to the Granby Board of Education. The lawmakers focused their remarks on the ongoing education cost sharing debate, which is one of the largest components of the overall state budget. While there isn’t a consensus at the State Capitol of how to re-create the education cost sharing formula, there is agreement that the current funding mechanisms for education are broken.

“Funding will be a focal point of the state budget negotiations, so I don’t expect a concrete formula to be presented until the waning days of the current legislative session – likely in June,” said Anderson, who is a member of the legislature’s Environment Committee. “In addition to funding, there are proposals on the table that would ban certain Styrofoam trays and food containers across all Connecticut schools and implement various regulations on new construction projects, both unfunded mandates could create local budget troubles.”

Other topics covered by the legislative update included special education funding, forced regionalization of education districts, and workforce development initiatives geared toward high school-aged students. All of which are being considered by the Education Committee and will be heard later this month during various public hearings.

The lawmakers stressed the preservation of local decision making, ensuring the Board of Education and its membership retain their current decision-making abilities and are not usurped by one-size-fits-all state policies from Hartford.

According to Anderson, the Education Committee has a deadline of March 27, to decide which legislation it will move to the House floor for further deliberation. The funding components must be initially drafted by April 21, which serves as the Appropriations Committee bill deadline.

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