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Speakers press State Board over Capital Prep funding; attorneys cite statute
Summary
Public commenters and Capital Prep supporters told the State Board of Education the board must fund Capital Preparatory Middletown if state appropriations required funding multiple new charters; an attorney representing Capital Prep said the Department of Education's documents show Capital Prep ranked first but did not receive funds.
Public commenters urged the Connecticut State Board of Education on March 5 to follow the funding order in state law after the General Assembly appropriated money for new charter schools.
The dispute centers on section 10-66 (as cited repeatedly by speakers) that governs how the Department of Education allocates charter-startup dollars when more than one new charter has been approved and funding is limited. “The law is the law,” said Dr. Steve Perry, identified as head of schools and founder of Capital Prep, arguing the statute requires the state board to determine which approved school is funded first using enumerated factors.
Why it matters: Speakers said families in Middletown and Hartford are traveling out of town for school options and that funding a local Capital Preparatory Middletown would reduce burdens on students and families. Attorney Mark Zamaruga, representing Capital Prep, told the board the school was listed first on a Department of Education document submitted to the legislature and that Capital Prep received no funding while another approved school did. “We believe the Department of Education breached mandatory obligations under the law,” Zamaruga said, urging the board to remedy the funding decision.
What commenters said: Parents and organizers from Middletown described long commutes and argued local students would benefit from a Capital Prep campus. Michelle Hay, co‑chair of Capital Prep Middletown, said the district’s Alliance designation increases the need for local options. Millie Arcidas of Hartford Parenting Learning said parents are “left out” of decisions and pressed for more educational options, including charters, to address persistent gaps.
Board response and next steps: The transcript records public comment and legal argument but does not show a formal board decision on the matter during the meeting. The attorney said his team has sought documents via FOI from the Department of Education and asserted the ranking evidence supports Capital Prep’s claim. The board did not announce a remedial action on the floor that day.
Ending: Supporters asked the board to put Capital Prep on a future agenda for formal consideration; the transcript shows the matter remained in public comment and legal review at the end of the session.
