BOE Takes Set Aside for All Day Kindergarten
By Robin Vinci at April 26, 2024 | 8:00 am | Print
It was no surprise to see the Board of Education vote Monday night to keep about $1.5 million in state set aside funds as it has each of the last three years.
Kevin Kane, school district finance director, said during the special board of education meeting that the budget already assumes the school board would take this money.
In January Superintendent Kelt Cooper proposed a $138.6 million school budget that included a $20 million or 16.98 percent increase in spending.
“If we didn’t make the assumption we were taking the two percent set aside the Superintendent would have asked for $21.4 million instead of $20 million in our budget,” said Sharon Beloin Saavedra, school board president. “We get it as a direct grant and the City gets that $1.4 million the ECS sent to them, but they are still obligated to fully fund ECS. It makes a revenue issue for them, but they are aware of it. We have been very upfront about it. So it is nothing new.”
“If it was not voted on tonight (Monday) you would reduce your overall budget by $1.5 million,” Kane told the board.
Saavedra said this money is to be used for all day kindergarten.
“Without it we would not be able to run a universal all day kindergarten program,” said Saavedra. “The board has focused these funds for all day kindergarten since the first time we voted on them.”
Kane said the state looks at the districts that are in need and there are four districts which get these funds including Bridgeport which receives $3.3 million; Hartford gets $3.8 million and Windham is given $500,000.
“Not every district gets this,” added Dr. Aram Ayalon.
The two percent set aside is based on a state statute.
The City will receive about $73 million in state funding for the 2013-14 fiscal year.
