Carpino Stands with Cromwell Education Officials

CROMWELL- State Rep. Christie Carpino has proposed legislation this session to address the concerns of local education officials (specifically Cromwell) that the state will now require towns to pick up the cost of the tuition for residents’ children who are enrolled in Pre-K programs at magnet schools.

Carpino’s bill would repeal the requirement that towns are responsible for paying
preschool program tuition at interdistrict magnet schools.

Carpino, a member of the Education committee said, “The issue of mandate relief needs to be addressed at the state level. This new tuition cost is an unfair burden on the towns of Connecticut. State mandates make it almost impossible to negotiate meaningful savings in education and personnel costs.”

House Bill 6507, An Act Concerning a Sliding Tuition Scale for Preschool Programs Offered at Interdistrict Magnet School Programs is currently in the Education Committee had a public hearing March 4th.

The Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE) testified strongly in support of the bill saying that the legislation would remove the unfair burden placed on those districts in which parents choose to enroll their preschool students in a magnet school program. Requiring boards of education to pay for preschool tuition for those students choosing to attend a magnet school creates significant inequity and we urge you to support this bill.