Let me break this down a bit more as it can be quite confusing to some.
The ECS was changed in 2017 to help close the gap and make a down payment on equitably funding poor inner city districts on a par with the wealthier suburbs. Instead of funding everything at once there was to be a 10 year incremental phase in for budgetary reasons. This phase in is to be paused under the Governors budget for two years. Rather than paying for about half of well deserved raises for our hardworking self with ECS funds the Governor proposes that BPS uses Covid relief funds for this purpose. Some may question “What’s the big deal?”. Let me use this years ECS increase as an example: BPS will receive about a $2,300,000 increase in ECS funding for fiscal year 2021. This will help offset the approximately $4,700,000 cost of salary increases for the current budget cycle. The next budget cycle is another story.
In the Governors 2022/2023 budget cycle freezes the ECS for all districts. This hurts alliance districts the most. Rather than Bridgeport receiving an increase in the ECS of at 2.3 million dollars each of the two years ($115 per student), the Governor’s proposal is to give a $0 per student increase to the ECS. Instead the governor is counting on FEDERAL COVID relief funds about 40 million over two years or $2000 per student ($1,000 per year). These relief funds are meant to help our children and staff recover from the academic, social/emotional and psychological ravages of COVID and used for measures to make in person education as safe as can be.
What can this potential lost $2,300,000 buy?
At roughly $100 an hour for counseling our children could instead receive 23,000 hours per year of counseling to deal with any trauma issues resulting from COVID. Our children have lost peer support for about a year now and may have: suffered the loss of a loved one; been incredibly frightened of catching COVID; lost important socialization skills; missed out on milestones (in person kindergarten, in person transition to HS, etc).
Covid has also cost our children academically and students may have lost learning at differing levels and may not all be on the same track. Tutoring can help alleviate that. At $50 per hour about 46,000 hours of tutoring.
These are just two examples of what could be lost if FEDERAL funds are allowed to replace the increase in ECS funds alliance districts are depending on to cover operating costs. So I ask all on OIB to sign and share this petition far and wide. Also testify at the state appropriations hearings on March 1. Equity delayed, is equity denied.
Thank you, Mr. Grimaldi for posting this.
Let me break this down a bit more as it can be quite confusing to some.
The ECS was changed in 2017 to help close the gap and make a down payment on equitably funding poor inner city districts on a par with the wealthier suburbs. Instead of funding everything at once there was to be a 10 year incremental phase in for budgetary reasons. This phase in is to be paused under the Governors budget for two years. Rather than paying for about half of well deserved raises for our hardworking self with ECS funds the Governor proposes that BPS uses Covid relief funds for this purpose. Some may question “What’s the big deal?”. Let me use this years ECS increase as an example: BPS will receive about a $2,300,000 increase in ECS funding for fiscal year 2021. This will help offset the approximately $4,700,000 cost of salary increases for the current budget cycle. The next budget cycle is another story.
In the Governors 2022/2023 budget cycle freezes the ECS for all districts. This hurts alliance districts the most. Rather than Bridgeport receiving an increase in the ECS of at 2.3 million dollars each of the two years ($115 per student), the Governor’s proposal is to give a $0 per student increase to the ECS. Instead the governor is counting on FEDERAL COVID relief funds about 40 million over two years or $2000 per student ($1,000 per year). These relief funds are meant to help our children and staff recover from the academic, social/emotional and psychological ravages of COVID and used for measures to make in person education as safe as can be.
What can this potential lost $2,300,000 buy?
At roughly $100 an hour for counseling our children could instead receive 23,000 hours per year of counseling to deal with any trauma issues resulting from COVID. Our children have lost peer support for about a year now and may have: suffered the loss of a loved one; been incredibly frightened of catching COVID; lost important socialization skills; missed out on milestones (in person kindergarten, in person transition to HS, etc).
Covid has also cost our children academically and students may have lost learning at differing levels and may not all be on the same track. Tutoring can help alleviate that. At $50 per hour about 46,000 hours of tutoring.
These are just two examples of what could be lost if FEDERAL funds are allowed to replace the increase in ECS funds alliance districts are depending on to cover operating costs. So I ask all on OIB to sign and share this petition far and wide. Also testify at the state appropriations hearings on March 1. Equity delayed, is equity denied.