School is starting up for the year later this month, and Governor Dannel Malloy continues to use an executive order to run state government. It does not allow him to raise revenue so he will be shifting state school aide to poorer districts.
He is revising his executive order to reevaluate how aid is distributed to communities. Malloy says some districts will have to receive less money so that other districts can receive an appropriate amount of money. Malloy outlined plans to reduce state education spending by $506 million if there is no budget in place when Education Cost Sharing grants are sent out in October.
Malloy says he wants to shield Alliance Districts, the 30 lowest performing districts. Danbury is an Alliance District, but was slated to lose $1 million under the original executive order. City officials say they are already underfunded by 50-percent from the state.
Education aid for 34 municipalities was zeroed out in Malloy's initial executive order, many in the Greater Danbury area. Brookfield, New Fairfield, Newtown, Monroe and Ridgefield will get nothing. New Milford would receive $10 million less, Bethel was reduced by $6 million and Redding cut by $164,000.
A Superior Court judge ruled last fall that the way Connecticut funds schools is unconstitutional. The state Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on the case, in which Danbury is a lead plaintiff, on September 29th.
