The Problem

Despite outspending almost every other state in the country on education, the way that Connecticut distributes over $7 billion a year in public education funding is inefficient, ineffective, and incomprehensible. The result: lagging student results and the largest achievement gap in the nation.

A recent Connecticut State Supreme Court ruling reaffirmed our state’s constitutional obligation to provide a quality public education to every child. At the same time we are facing a structural state budget deficit of unprecedented proportions in the coming years. All of which makes a fundamental re-envisioning of the state’s approach to school funding not just a priority, but an imperative.

The problem with school funding in Connecticut has more to do with the way we spend our money than with the amount we spend. Full, adequate funding does not follow all students to the schools they actually attend, and schools that serve high-need students often do not receive all the funding they are entitled to. The current structure is a complicated and outdated one where money is too often channeled to communities based on their ability to “work the system” rather than on their students’ needs.

The Solutions

Fixing education in Connecticut requires that we fix education funding. As governor, I will replace this inequitable and unsustainable school finance system by implementing a new, smarter system of funding for all of our public schools in which money follows children based on their needs. Such a system would place students at the center of funding decisions and create powerful incentives that induce districts and schools to educate all students to high standards. Our neighboring state, Rhode Island, just passed legislation that puts this type of funding system in place statewide. My plan will:

Equitably fund all students across all types of public schools.

Right now, districts receive money based on the number of students living within their jurisdiction rather than the number of students they actually educate, which means taxpayers often pay twice for students who choose to attend a charter, magnet, or technical school instead of their district school. This unsustainable funding system costs taxpayers and unfairly penalizes students attending nontraditional public schools. For example, Connecticut’s charter schools, which are among the most effective in the state, are funded at only 75 cents on the dollar compared with traditional public schools. Connecticut is one of only three states in the country where money doesn’t follow kids to charter schools.

My school funding system will be based on the commonsense principle of funding schools and districts on the actual number of students they serve. This will eliminate waste and ensure that every student is fully funded, regardless of the school they choose to attend. As with the current state funding formula, my system would take a district’s ability to raise tax revenue into account and equalize funds accordingly.

Distribute money according to student needs.

A money follows the child approach would also allow the state to adjust funding based on each student’s learning needs. Students with high needs, such as low-income students and English language learners, often require additional learning time and support. In a system where money follows the child, districts would receive additional funding for every student they serve who is low-income or an English language learner. This change would not only ensure that schools have the extra resources they require to meet all students’ needs, but would also create incentives for schools to offer high-quality educational options that would attract and keep high-needs students.

Allow flexible spending to meet student needs.

A student-based funding system gives schools and districts flexibility to use their funding in ways that meet the needs of their students. Right now, districts typically receive funds that must be spent on certain programs or to employ specific kinds of staff. I believe that schools and districts know better than the State Department of Education how best to meet their specific students’ needs, and they could direct more dollars to the classroom and spend them more wisely if they had more control over their budgets.

Bring transparency to our education spending.

Right now, a tangle of funding disguises how money flows and does little to produce dramatic gains for children who need them. The transparent system I will bring about would help policymakers, parents, and taxpayers understand how state dollars flow from the state to districts and schools and make smarter choices about how best to spend these funds to meet students’ needs.

More reading on these ideas here. 

Please note: ConnCAN (The Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now) is a nonpartisan organization that neither supports nor opposes any political party or candidate for office.