“The steps taken in the state’s FY22-23 Biennial Budget are paving the pathway forward for our communities to achieve true education funding equity, especially those attending public charter schools, which oftentimes provide our state’s neediest children with their best opportunity to reach their full potential.
While we still have a long road ahead to achieve equity for all public school students, we sincerely appreciate the steps the legislature has taken in this budget to reduce the funding disparities between traditional district and public charter students. In raising the public charter school per-pupil tuition rate to the foundation amount, adding additional money to be used for the phasing in of weighted need-based funds for public charter school students, and funding the additional pre-K and middle school grades for Stamford Charter School for Excellence, our state’s leaders have acknowledged the decades-long systemic inequities, heard the cries of our communities, and are prioritizing change.
Contrary to the equity lens with which the rest of the state’s education budget was built, unfortunately, we are disappointed that the state has failed to fund Danbury Prospect. This decision leaves the families of Danbury without the school choice option they have, for seven long years, advocated for.
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 our state’s elected leaders for prioritizing equity and student need in the state’s FY22-23 Biennial Budget. I look forward to continuing to work alongside our state’s elected leaders as we continue to evoke change for the betterment of our communities,” 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.