“Today, Governor Lamont released his Proposed FY 23 Budget Adjustment.

During his State of the State Address, Governor Lamont spoke about the importance of educating children for the jobs of tomorrow and his optimism about the future of Connecticut, touting the State’s $2.5 billion surplus.

Unfortunately, his proposed adjustments have failed to address our state’s unconscionable $713 million racial education funding gap, which impacts tens of thousands of Connecticut children. Among these students are our state’s 11,000 public charter school students, 93% of whom are students of color. In addition, we are disappointed that the Governor’s proposed adjustments ignore the needs of the families in Danbury who have, for eight long years, demanded a charter school option for their children.

Connecticut students, regardless of which public school they attend, deserve to be funded equitably based on their educational needs, which can be accomplished by implementing a single student-centered funding formula. Furthermore, to safely sustain in-person instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic, which the Governor has cited as critical, it is essential that all public schools have access to funds to improve and maintain their school facilities.

We look forward to working with the Governor’s administration and the state legislature to address the inequities that persist in our state’s public education system and to ensure that all public school facilities meet the standards of safety in the “new normal” of the COVID and post-COVID world.

If we do not give our children, in particular those in low-income communities of color, the opportunity and means to thrive, our state will lose yet another generation of brilliant minds,” 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.