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East Hartford board emphasizes student‑centered funding, special‑education costs and push for fully funded pre‑K
Summary
District leaders reviewed legislative priorities including a student‑centered funding formula (referencing HB 5283), special‑education excess‑cost grants, and a push to expand access to prekindergarten; staff answered questions about parent contributions if pre‑K were fully funded.
At a Jan. 13 meeting, East Hartford School District officials outlined legislative priorities the district will present to state legislators ahead of the 2025 session, focusing on a student‑centered funding formula, special‑education excess‑cost funding and expanding access to full prekindergarten.
The superintendent’s presentation asked the local delegation to support movement on a student‑centered funding system, citing “previous efforts, namely HB 5283,” and said such a system would more accurately reflect community needs and tax bases across districts. The superintendent described the district’s push for improved reimbursement when special‑education costs exceed local capacity and urged full funding of prekindergarten to close access gaps for four‑year‑old children.
Board members asked how fully funding pre‑K would affect parent contributions. The superintendent said that because parts of the ECLC funding stream use federal grants, parent contributions today often follow federal sliding‑scale rules; the district is “pushing for” broader funding so families on wait lists can access seats but cautioned that federal grant rules and eligibility would still influence contributions for some program models. The superintendent said the district is studying whether to “replicate” the ECLC model or pursue alternate funding structures to open additional seats without inheriting federal program rules in full.
Officials also said teacher recruitment and retention remain an ongoing priority; the district is shifting emphasis from pure recruitment toward retention strategies to keep high‑quality staff.
No formal board action was taken on the legislative priorities at the meeting; staff said the full priorities document will be posted and discussed with legislators in late January.
