Rep. Dauphinais Co-Sponsors Legislation to Protect ECS Funding

HARTFORD – State Representative Anne Dauphinais (R-44) has co-sponsored legislation that would protect educational funding by preventing the Executive Branch of Connecticut’s state government from making recessions or other reductions during the fiscal year.

Many town budgets are set and voted on between May and June for the year and unfairly cutting funding mid-year forces municipalities to essentially scrap many months of preparation and hard-work putting forth their annual budgets. House Bill 5171, prohibits the governor from making any recessions or other reductions to Educational Cost Sharing (ECS) during the fiscal year. Passage of this bill would ensure funding that had previously been promised to a municipality isn’t removed.

“This bill will work to prevent the governor from attempting to enact harmful, devastating, and drastic educational cuts to the towns of Plainfield and Killingly,” Rep. Dauphinais said. “Last year, the additional cuts and holdbacks proposed by Governor Malloy were disastrous, so I’m happy to have co-signed legislation that protects and prioritizes educational funding for our district.”

The ECS formula which is set by the legislature takes into account town wealth, student count with high need students, and other weighted factors in order to determine how much districts will receive on a per-pupil basis.

The bill passed through the house on a 117-32 margin and will now head off to the Senate for a vote. The 2018 regular legislative session will conclude tonight at midnight.