HARTFORD — More is not enough for some in terms of the local share of school funding in the state budget that won approval Tuesday.
Bridgeport gets nearly $9.5 million more in state aid in 2005-06 than in the current fiscal year, including $6.3 million more for school funding.
"That doesn't fill the $8.5 million gap in the [education] budget," said Marilyn Ondrasik, executive director of the Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition. "It still leaves the Board of Education short and facing cuts that reach down into the classroom. We were hoping for more."
Stratford's $909,000 increase in state funding, including $860,000 for education, was less than satisfying to Rep. Terry Backer, D-Stratford.
This year, Stratford gets $15.6 million in state education aid. In July it will get $16.46 million.
"I'm very pleased with what we were able to do for Stratford, but I'm also disappointed. We're still $2 to $3 million under what the ECS formula says we should get," said Backer.
In all, the state's educational cost share formula, its largest education grant, would rise $62.5 million in the first year of the new budget to $1.625 billion.
Overall, statutory aid to cities and towns would go up $90 million to $2.03 billion.
Bridgeport's overall $9.5 million increase in 2005-06 is not the state's highest. Hartford will get $10.8 million more, including $6.9 million more for its schools.
Still, Sen. Ernest Newton, D-Bridgeport, said overall, the city fared OK.
"This budget helps our schools tremendously," he said.
Kevin Maloney, spokesman for the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, a New Haven-based group that represents cities and towns, said the organization appreciates the effort made to boost state aid.
Yet, the group remains concerned that the legislature has not extended a provision that allows towns and cities to increase the real estate conveyance tax from $1.10 to $2.50 on every $1,000 in property transactions. Failure to do so would deprive Connecticut communities of tens of millions of dollars in annual revenue, he said.
Ondrasik, meanwhile, was hopeful that other line items in the state budget — for reading, priority schools and other categorical grants — would help Bridgeport's bottom line.
"Just the $6 million won't lower class sizes or provide the remediation Bridgeport students need," she said.
Line-item details of the budget deal have yet to be released.
Linda Conner Lambeck, who covers regional education issues, can be reached at 330-6218.
