“On behalf of the Connecticut Charter Schools Association and our state’s nearly 11,000 mostly Black and brown charter school students, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to the Appropriations Committee for prioritizing equity and student need in their proposed FY22-23 State Biennial Budget.
If passed, the Appropriations Committee’s budget would raise the public charter school per pupil to the foundation amount as recommended in Governor Lamont’s proposed budget and add additional money to be used for the phasing in of weighted funds for public charter school students! Additionally, the proposed budget recommends an increase for local charter school students.
The committee’s proposed budget also answers the collective demands of Stamford families and community members; Proposing further investment in one of our state’s highest-performing public schools, Stamford Charter School for Excellence, by funding its previously approved pre-K and middle school grades.
We are very disappointed the committee’s proposed budget fails to fund Danbury Prospect, a nationally recognized high-quality school model Danbury families have fought to open for seven long years. Unfortunately, these parents’ legislators are ignoring their clear demands for a quality public school option in their community. The final budget should include funding for Stamford Charter School for Excellence and Danbury Prospect if legislators are truly prioritizing the needs of students and families. We will continue to support the parents of Danbury to ensure that their interests are represented in the state’s final budget.
We thank the Appropriations Committee for taking this essential step towards achieving equity for all public charter school students. However, we are far from our ultimate goal of true equity. Our community must continue to push for our state’s leaders to eliminate the racial funding disparity in our state, particularly for our 11,000 Black and brown public charter school students. CTCSA is ready to work with communities across the state, legislative leadership, and Governor Lamont to ensure we break down barriers for all students and make Connecticut a more just and equitable place for our children to grow up,” said Ruben Felipe, Executive Director of the Connecticut Charter Schools Association.
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About the Connecticut Charter Schools Association: The Connecticut Charter Schools Association is a nonprofit membership organization that serves as a unified voice for the 21 public charter schools, representing their interests at the state and local levels. To learn more, click here.