Legislative Update – Monday April 27, 2015

The Appropriations Committee has just released its budget proposal at a press conference this morning. Co-Chair Rep. Toni Walker was especially supportive of after school programs in her remarks describing the committee’s proposed budget:

“We maintained the support for education, for our K-12 system, for our early childhood programs and prevention programs that are there because we know our children need to have guidance both day and afternoon. Do you remember one of the biggest problems we have, especially in urban communities, is between the hours of 3 and 7 pm. So we have to make sure that after school is available for all children and families . . . .”

The budget from the Appropriations Committee (available in its entirety here) restores many of the cuts that were in Governor Malloy’s earlier proposal. The Committee did make many hard choices, and acknowledged that not every cut could be prevented given the difficult budget situation. While this is only one step in the budget process, we are very encouraged by the support for after school programs from the committee. Here are some of the highlights:

Proposed cuts restored:

• After School Grant Program $5,063,286 (SDE) and Summer Learning Grants $300,000 (SDE)
• Priority School District Grants: Extended School Hours and Summer School Grants $6,494,451 (SDE)
• Youth Service Bureaus (not moved to DCF) and Youth Service Bureau Enhancements $3,704,568) (SDE)
• Funding also included in the committee budget for the following specific SDE programs:
  • Leadership, Education, Athletics in Partnership (LEAP);
  • Connecticut Pre-Engineering Program;
  • Connecticut Writing Project;
  • Neighborhood Youth Centers;
  • Parent Trust Fund;
  • Bridges to Success; and
  • Alternative High School and Adult Reading.
• Interdistrict Cooperation Grants — originally cut by $4,576,591 (eliminating all non-Sheff grants), funding 55% restored in the amount of $2,538,295 (SDE)
• School Age Funding in Child Care Services Program (TANF/CCDBG) (originally cut by $808,056), funding 95% restored in the amount of $$767,653 (OEC)

Cuts not restored by the committee:

• Science Program for Educational Reform Districts;
• Wrap Around Services;
• Parent Universities;
• School Health Coordinator Pilot;
• Technical Assistance – Regional Cooperation; and
• School to Work Opportunities.

Want to get keep up with the latest on afterschool funding? Follow our advocacy blog posts for the latest in breaking news on after school and summer programs.

Questions? Contact Michelle at mdc@ctafterschoolnetwork.org or call 860-730-2941.