ADVOCACY CONFERENCE CALL

Wednesday, February 18, 2015, 2:00 PM – 2:30 PM

Phone: 866-740-1260   Access code: 7944978#

STATE POLICY: Governor Malloy is releasing his budget proposal TODAY, Wednesday, February 18 at noon and we’ll have a call at 2 pm to discuss the implications for the current state legislative session.

DETAILS: The budget is expected to propose significant spending cuts to address the $1.3 billion deficit projected for the 2016 budget, although we have no idea yet if cuts to state funding for after school and summer programs will be included.

FEDERAL POLICY: In addition, there are significant threats to the federal afterschool funding for 21st Century Community Learning Centers and we’ll be discussing this on the conference call as well.

DETAILS: On February 3rd, Chairman Kline of the House Education and the Workforce Committee released HR 5, a bill to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The bill seeks to replace the 2001 No Child Left Behind law and consolidates and eliminates more than 65 programs, including the 21st Century Community Learning Centers initiative (21st CCLC), into a new Local Academic Flexible Grant that provides funds to states and school districts to support initiatives that increase student achievement based on their own priorities. Should the bill pass eliminating this dedicated funding stream, it is likely that most, if not all, of the federal funding for afterschool would be redirected to programming within the school day.

Questions? Call Michelle at 860-730-2941