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ACES, districts and a regional superintendent ask for school building funding boost and policy changes in SB 1393
Summary
Representatives from ACES and several school districts supported SB 1393, which would change state grant commitments for building projects and add incentives for special‑education and early‑childhood space; ACES requested $14.8 million more for the ACES at Chase project in Waterbury and an extension to commence construction.
Officials from the Area Cooperative Educational Services (ACES) and local school leaders urged the Education Committee to support SB 1393, a bill that would authorize state grant commitments for certain school building projects and revise the reimbursement formula to give incentives for facilities that include early‑childhood and special‑education space.
ACES leaders described a campus renovation project in Waterbury (project 244‑O44‑MAG) that was delayed when the original general contractor withdrew and which has experienced cost escalations. ACES requested an additional $14,811,185 and sought an extension of the two‑year commencement deadline so the district can proceed with a replacement construction contract and complete the academic program expansion to grades 6‑12.
“Authorizing a 50 percentage point increase in state funding for special education and early-childhood space would provide a critical incentive,” ACES testimony said. The agency and several local speakers argued that interdistrict collaborations and school‑within‑a‑school models could reduce out‑placement costs and preserve neighborhood ties if funding and space rules encourage shared programs.
Lon Seidman, chair of the Essex Board of Education, supported a 15 percent bonus for constructing collaborative special‑education facilities but warned that current state “space standards” can disqualify older buildings from reimbursement. He asked the committee to consider waivers or revised standards that make interdistrict projects feasible.
What’s next: The committee asked for documentation of the Chase project’s timeline and cost increases and for technical edits to the grant‑commitment language; no vote was taken at the hearing.
